Report of the Polish EU Presidency

Home , 2011 in Poland, Adam Rapacki, Artus Court, Barbara Kudrycka, Cezary Grabarczyk, Foreign Affairs Council

Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych 2. Logotyp / język angielski Logotyp A, B w wersji kolorowej w pozytywie jest podstawowym elementem identyfikacji wizualnej A. Wersja kolorowa - pozytyw / znak podstawowy Ministerstwa Spraw Zagranicznych Pobierz logotyp A w formacie: Logotyp A: we wszystkich aplikacjach małych form graficznych. Przeznaczenie: papeteria, publikacje, Pobierz logotyp B w formacie: plakaty, website, druki okolicznościowe, materiały promocyjne, itd Wskazane tło - białe Logotyp B: we wszystkich aplikacjach wielkoformatowych. Przeznaczenie: materiały BTL, POS: banery, ścianki PopUp, roll-up, itd Wskazane tło - białe

Logotyp A Logotyp B

1 Ministry Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2 of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland Republic of Poland

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Report

Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 1 July - 31 December 2011

Final Report preparations, achievements, conclusions submitted by the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in accordance with § 1 p. 2 of the Ordinance of the Council of Ministers of 15 July 2008 (Journal of Laws No. 133, item 843 with later amendments)

The report adopted by the Council of Ministers on 17 April 2012

Warsaw, April 2012

Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 1 July – 31 December 2011 Editing Department of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency of EU Council Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Published by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Printing and binding Rytter Investment Printing House

Publication printed on FSC certified ecological paper

Logotyp A Logotyp B

Rzeczpospolita Polska 1 Ministerstwo Spraw ZagranicznychMinistry Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2 of Foreign Affairs Republic of Poland Republic of Poland

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1. Preparations Concept: Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union ...... 11

1.1. Formal and Legal Conditions ...... 13 1.2. Geo-political Context of Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union ..... 15 1.3. Structures Involved ...... 17 1.3.1. The Government Plenipotentiary and Support Staff ...... 17 1.3.2. Units Involved Domestically ...... 21 1.3.2.1. Crisis Management ...... 27 1.3.3. Involvement of Diplomatic Missions ...... 27 1.3.4. Role and Responsibilities of the Permanent Representation in Brussels ...... 28 1.3.4.1. Meeting Planning Co-ordinator (MPC) ...... 28 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included ...... 29 1.4.1. Review and Counselling Teams ...... 29 1.4.2. Interdisciplinary Co-ordination ...... 30 1.4.2.1. European Committee of the Council of Ministers (ECCM) ...... 30 1.4.2.2. Committee for European Affairs (CEA) ...... 32 1.4.2.3. Support Committee for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union – Early Warning and European Dossier Analysis Team ...... 34 1.4.3. Committee of the Council of Ministers/Council of Ministers ...... 36 1.5. International Co-operation ...... 37 1.5.1. Co-operation with Member States ...... 37 1.5.1.1. Bilateral Consultations ...... 37 1.5.1.2. Co-operation with the Hungarian Presidency ...... 38 1.5.2. Co-operation with European Union Institutions ...... 38 1.5.2.1. Co-operation with the European Commission, the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and the Office of the President of the European Council ...... 38 1.5.2.2. Co-operation with the European External Action Service ...... 39 1.5.2.3. Co-operation in Third Countries ...... 40 1.5.3. Cooperation with the European Parliament ...... 41 1.5.3.1. Cooperation with the European Parliament during preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council ...... 41 1.5.3.2. Cooperation with the European Parliament during the Polish Presidency of the EU Council ...... 46 1.5.4. Cooperation of the Polish Presidency with EU advisory institutions (European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions) ... 48

2. Organisation of the preparations and the course of the Presidency ...... 53

2.1. Budget ...... 55 2.2. Business partners of the Presidency ...... 57

5 Report Table of Contents

2.3. Management of human resources ...... 59 2.3.1. Presidency Corps ...... 59 2.3.1.1. Motivation and loyalty system ...... 59 2.3.2. Training ...... 60 2.3.2.1. Central training for the Presidency Corps ...... 60 2.3.2.2. Training for other target groups ...... 63 2.3.2.3. Internships and study visits ...... 65 2.3.3. Human resources reinforcements of administration and foreign missions ...... 65 2.3.3.1. Delegation of staff from EU institutions to the Polish administration for the period of the Polish Presidency ...... 65 2.3.3.2. Reinforcement of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU and of other diplomatic missions . . 65 2.4. Organisation of meetings ...... 67 2.4.1. Meetings in Poland...... 67 2.4.1.1. Planning logistics ...... 67 2.4.1.2. Statistics of meetings in Poland ...... 68 2.4.1.3. Meetings under the patronage of the Presidency ...... 68 2.4.2. Logistics of meetings in Poland ...... 69 2.4.2.1. Participant accreditation and access to conference venues ...... 69 2.4.2.2. Booking of hotel rooms ...... 69 2.4.2.3. Liaison Officers ...... 69 2.4.2.4. Airports and VIP lounges ...... 70 2.4.2.5. Transport ...... 70 2.4.2.6. Arrangement, decoration and furnishing of conference venues ...... 71 2.4.2.7. Conference services at the meetings ...... 72 2.4.2.8. Translation and interpretation services at the meetings ...... 73 2.4.2.9. Official dinners and catering at conference venues ...... 74 2.4.2.10. Presents for participants in the meeting ...... 74 2.4.3. Friends of the Presidency Club ...... 74 2.4.4. Green Presidency ...... 75 2.4.5. Meetings in Brussels ...... 77 2.4.6. Other meetings abroad ...... 81 2.5. Promotion, information, culture ...... 85 2.5.1. Visual identification ...... 85 2.5.1.1. Visual identification system ...... 85 2.5.1.2. The logo of the Polish Presidency ...... 85 2.5.1.3. Promotional materials and conference accessories ...... 86 2.5.2. Presents and gifts of the Presidency ...... 86 2.5.3. Publications ...... 88 2.5.4. Presidency furniture ...... 88 2.5.5. Coherence of the visual identification of the Presidency and entire administration ...... 89

6 2.5.6. Communication (NGOs, the Internet, social campaigns) ...... 90 2.5.6.1. Internal communication during the Presidency ...... 90 2.5.6.2. Social campaigns: promotion of the Polish Presidency on the Internet . 91 2.5.6.3. Websites ...... 91 2.5.6.4. Social media ...... 93 2.5.6.5. Special projects ...... 94 2.5.7. Patronages of the Polish Presidency 2011 ...... 96 2.5.8. Education, information, dialogue with schools and non-governmental organisations in Poland ...... 97 2.5.8.1. Collaboration with non-governmental organisations ...... 97 2.5.8.2. Competition for non-governmental organisations – promotion of the Presidency ...... 98 2.5.8.3. Education, projects involving young people and teachers ...... 98 2.5.8.4. Projects conducted in the city space ...... 100 2.5.8.5. Projects for the media ...... 101 2.5.8.6. Public opinion surveys ...... 101 2.5.9. Cultural programme ...... 102 2.5.10. Polish Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency 2011 ...... 102 2.5.10.1. Flagship projects carried out in Poland ...... 103 2.5.11. World Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency 2011 ...... 106 2.5.11.1. The most important events taking place abroad ...... 106 2.5.11.2. The official website of the Cultural Programme of the Presidency ... 107 2.5.12. Public diplomacy and collaboration with the media ...... 108 2.5.12.1. Public Affairs ...... 108 2.5.12.2. Media Relations ...... 109 2.5.12.3. Coordination, planning, evaluation ...... 109 2.5.12.4. Crisis Management ...... 109 2.5.12.5. Public Relations...... 109

3. Preparations and implementation of the Presidency programme ...... 113

3.1. Programming preparations ...... 115 3.1.1. Analytical preparations ...... 115 3.1.1.1. The CEPS study ...... 115 3.1.1.2. Study visits ...... 115 3.1.1.3. Analytical efforts ...... 115 3.1.1.4. Publications ...... 116 3.1.1.5. Cooperation with the Council of External Advisors ...... 116 3.1.2. The fiche system ...... 117 3.1.2.1. The inventory of issues covered by the Polish Presidency agenda ..... 117 3.1.2.2. Building the programming fiche system ...... 117 3.1.2.3. Fiche system support during the term of the Presidency ...... 119

7 Report Table of Contents

3.2. Cooperation in the trio and the 18-month programme ...... 121 3.3. Priorities ...... 123 3.4. The process of preparation of the 6-month programme...... 127 3.5. Implementation of the programme ...... 129 3.5.1. The legislative process and other elements of implementing the programme . 129 3.6. General Affairs Council ...... 137 3.6.1. Enlargement ...... 137 3.6.2. Multiannual Financial Framework ...... 137 3.6.3. Cohesion policy as an effective and territorially diversified response to European Union development challenges ...... 138 3.6.4. First review of EU Strategy for Baltic Sea Region ...... 138 3.6.5. European Economic Area, cooperation with EFTA countries ...... 138 3.6.6. Nuclear issues ...... 139 3.6.7. Integration and optimization of the European Statistical System ...... 139 3.6.8. Integrated maritime policy ...... 139 3.7. Foreign Affairs Council ...... 141 3.7.1. EU external relations ...... 141 3.7.2. Collaboration for development and humanitarian aid ...... 142 3.7.3. Trade policy ...... 143 3.7.4. Consular matters ...... 144 3.8. Economic and Financial Affairs Council ...... 145 3.9. Competitiveness Council ...... 147 3.9.1. The internal market ...... 147 3.9.2. More competitive European economy ...... 148 3.9.3. European Research Area ...... 150 3.10. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council ...... 153 3.10.1. Transport ...... 153 3.10.2. Telecommunication and information society ...... 154 3.10.3. Energy ...... 155 3.11. Justice and Home Affairs Council ...... 157 3.11.1. Internal affairs ...... 157 3.11.2. Migrations, asylum, and border management ...... 157 3.11.3. Mobility ...... 158 3.11.4. System of justice ...... 159 3.11.5. The external dimension of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice ...... 160 3.12. Agriculture and Fisheries Council ...... 161 3.12.1. Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy ...... 161 3.12.2. Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy ...... 163 3.12.3. Veterinary and phytosanitary issues ...... 164 3.12.4. Food safety ...... 164 3.13. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council ...... 165

8 3.13.1. Employment and social policy ...... 165 3.13.2. Health ...... 167 3.13.3. Consumer protection ...... 168 3.14. Environment Council ...... 171 3.14.1. Climate changes ...... 171 3.14.2. Protection of biodiversity ...... 171 3.14.2.1. Process of sustainable development (Rio+20) ...... 172 3.14.3. Efficient use of resources ...... 172 3.14.4. Current work on the instruments of environmental protection policy...... 172 3.15. EU Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport ...... 175 3.15.1. Competencies for Europe ...... 175 3.15.2. Education (including higher) ...... 175 3.15.3. Young people ...... 175 3.15.4. Culture ...... 176 3.15.5. Audio and video issues ...... 176 3.15.6. Sport ...... 176

4. The image and the evaluation of the Presidency in Poland and abroad ...... 179

4.1. The Polish Presidency in the eyes of key stakeholders in Brussels ...... 181 4.2. The image of the Presidency in the European media ...... 183 4.3. The image of the Presidency in the Polish media ...... 185

Lists of tables, graphs, annexes ...... 191

List of tables ...... 193 List of graphs ...... 195 List of Annexes ...... 197

Annexes ...... 199

Annex No. 1 ...... 201 Annex No. 2 ...... 207 Annex No. 3 ...... 209 Annex No. 4 ...... 211 Annex No. 5 ...... 233 Annex No. 6 ...... 235 Annex No. 7 ...... 237 Annex No. 8 ...... 241

9 Report

11. .

Preparations Concept: Koncepcja przygotowań i sprawowania prezydencji Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

1.1. Formal and Legal Conditions

he Republic of Poland’s first – and thus historical – of preparing and holding focal informal meetings of dif- TPresidency of the Council of the European Union, ferent levels at selected Polish cities. scheduled1 by the Council for 1 July through 31 December In terms of key merit areas, it was decided that the Polish 2011, took place in the second half of the second year af- Presidency would be put to use at the General Affairs ter the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty(LT)2. This meant that Council, COREPER I and II, and other Union structures, to neither the new institutional framework of the European enable the launch of targeted technical initiatives valu- Union (EU) nor its operations as laid out in the Lisbon able to broadly defined Polish interests. This was to serve Treaty had been fully formed yet. In light of the Polish the purpose of consolidating Poland’s international im- Presidency having been confronted with such circum- age as one of the most important, active and competent stances, the Council of Ministers concluded that on European Union Member States. the one hand, the Polish Presidency shall target effective Presidential efficiency, and in particular the effective management of the Council’s individual sector-related presentation of initiatives in the area of third country formations with no option of managing the prepara- relations on the borderline of respective competencies tions, course, or results of European Council sessions, assigned to the presidency and the High Representative while – on the other hand – shall strive to shape such of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Lady areas of EU operations as have been assigned to EU Catherine Ashton (High Representative/HR) required presidencies under the LT, thus allowing them a field for former consultation and day-to-day co-operation. The ef- manoeuvre in terms of tabling and implementing initia- ficient and consistent application of the concept enabled tives of their own. Another objective was that of creating the Polish Presidency to be effective (within the frame- specific measures and methods of operation, potentially work of limited prerogatives assigned to rotating to be included as part of general practice followed by presidencies) in action in the field of foreign policy and subsequent states assuming presidency in the European European Union security in relations with third countries, Union. including the Union’s support for democratic movements From the viewpoint of consecutive presidencies and in North Africa. Moreover, the aforementioned efficiency the modified formula of their operation, crucial changes and consistency allowed for successful preparation and limiting their competencies included in particular the ap- organising of the top-ranking event under the Polish pointment of the President of the European Council Presidency – the Eastern Partnership Summit – originally and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign to be organised by the Hungarian Presidency in the first Affairs and Security Policy; strengthening the position half of 2011. of the President of the European Commission (EC), and The Presidency of the Council of the EU under the new expanding the role of the European Parliament (EP). circumstances of the Lisbon Treaty regime required an ac- As a result of all these changes, every Member State cord, as well as regular working contacts and consultation holds presidency in different Council configurations only with other partners of the presidential trio, Denmark in (the Foreign Affairs Council excepted) for a period of six particular. Such contact was organised at the level of for- months; the entire evolution is assigned to pre-designed eign affairs and European affairs ministers, and of minis- groups of three Member States for periods totalling tries and ministerial representatives responsible for differ- eighteen months3. ent sector-related areas. Regular and frequent contacts in As the fourth state to assume the Presidency preparation ensured successful approval of programme of the Council of the EU under the Lisbon Treaty regime, documents and agreements for the eighteen-month term and the fourth ‘new’ (following the 2004 expansion) spanning presidencies to be held by all three countries Member State to do so, in preparing for presidency of our trio, in strategic and operational segments alike. the Polish government decided to opt for ambition In May 2011, the President of the Council of Ministers and activeness in content and form alike. With regard of the Republic of Poland Donald Tusk met the President to organisational matters concerning the Presidency of the Republic of Cyrpus and the Prime Minister of the Council of the European Union, it was decided of the Kingdom of Denmark in Warsaw, to discuss matters that individual Polish regions would be promoted as part key to trilateral co-operation for purposes of the upcom- of our Presidency. The concept was implemented by way ing group presidency to be held by the three states. In the context of the strengthened role of the European Parliament, developing a successful formula of co- 1 Decision of the European Union Council of 1 July 2007 determining operating with that institution was a crucial aspect the order in which the office of President of the Council shall be held, Official Journal of the European Union 2007 L1/11. of the Polish Presidency. The objective was served by 2 The Lisbon Treaty formally came into force on 1 December 2009. a number of initiatives and actions: early identification; 3 Article 2 paragraph 2 of the decision of the European Union Council contact established by heads of ministries and central of 1 December 2009 on the exercise of the Presidency of the Council, authorities with key EP representatives, and regular Official Journal of the European Union 2009 L 315/50.

13 Report 1.1. Formal and Legal Conditions

dialogue in the course of the Presidency itself; the frequent presence of the Plenipotentiary and of Polish ministers at EP plenary sessions and sessions of individual EP committees, participation in numerous parliamentary debates included; introducing a supplementary forum for dialogue with the EP in the form of monthly informal debates of presidential ministers with Members of the EP, such as ‘Meet the Presidency’ in Strasbourg. Key events organised as part of the preparations preceding the Polish Presidency and determining the Presidency-EP relations included visits paid to Warsaw by the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, the EP’s major political groups, and the Parliament’s -commit tees, as well as the Plenipotentiary’s June 2011 meeting with the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament. In the course of the latter, the Plenipotentiary described the Polish Presidency’s priorities and programme in assorted sectors of European Union work, presented the Presidency’s expectations of the European Parliament, and outlined the vision of co-operation between the Polish Presidency and the EP. Thanks to long-term and multifaceted preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, neither the new quality of European institutional operations under the new Lisbon Treaty regime, nor challenges stemming from lack of former experience as the acting European Union Council Presidency impacted the organisational or technical efficacy of the Polish Presidency, in particular in comparison with Member States more experienced in the field. In consequence, it may be concluded that the professional nature of organisational and technical preparation blended in with the absence of complexes allowed the Polish Presidency to remain ambitious and efficient in the process of designing, delivering, and presenting its position with regard to a number of priority issues on all Union forums. This may be, for example, proven by the Polish Presidency’s activeness during European Parliament debates, focusing among others on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the financial, economic and social crisis within the EU, and the state of the European Union; by sound preparation for European Union sessions; by partaking in the design and adoption of the agreement on EU’s anti-crisis action; by adopting the Joint Declaration of the Warsaw Eastern Partnership Summit; and by drafting an agreement concerning EU’s position for purposes of the Durban Climate Conference. Under formal and legal conditions amended by - vir tue of the Lisbon Treaty, it ought to be recognised that wherever beneficial and feasible, the Polish Presidency took advantage of Treaty provisions to introduce favourable sector-related and political directions to the process of drafting European policies.

14 1.2. Geo-political Context of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

nternationally, the first half of 2011 brought mainly proving insufficiently flexible in light of the changes taking Iunchanged financial and economic crisis conditions place in its diversified environment.4 to the majority of European states. The ever-growing risk The European Union agenda for the first half of 2011 of the breakdown of the euro as the common currency highlighted issues of the political and economic cri- of European Union Member States was another factor sis in Greece, of matters troubling the eurozone, and attracting the attention of the rest of the world, includ- of the increasingly distinctive concept of a two-speed ing leaders of the G-20 countries. These problems were Europe. Given the circumstances, EU Member States superimposed by continuous long-term recession, and were attentive and diversified in their tolerance ofac- grave uncertainty as to further developments in the US tions taken by German and French leaders to aid Greece economy. Globally, the period of preparation for and in overcoming its in-house economic and social crisis. the actual holding of the Polish Presidency coincided Reasonably, it was believed that the Greek crisis may with groundbreaking changes in Arab states. Tunisian, bring tragic consequences to other European Union Egyptian, and Libyan citizens began their struggle for countries. The Union was anxiously watching the new democracy and respect for human rights. Although it was and grave symptoms of economic difficulties sprouting in obvious that Tunisians, Egyptians, and Libyans would have other European economies alongside Greece, in Ireland, to bear the brunt of action themselves in order to legiti- Spain, Portugal, and Italy in particular. mise such democratic movements, they did little to con- From the vantage point of the upcoming Polish ceal avid hopes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Presidency of the Council of the European Union, tremen- and other international political-and-economic organ- dous importance was attached to in-house European Union isms, such as the UN or EU, for example, offering active efforts to reach an accord with the European Parliament, support to pro-democratic rising. Despite the unfavour- and the follow-up introduction of a package of six pieces able economic condition of the majority of NATO and of legislation fortifying financial supervision in eurozone the EU Member States, they did not remain indifferent to countries – the so-called ‘Six-Pack’. Another matter of key the dramatic needs of the Arab Spring. importance to the Polish Presidency was that of further In Poland’s immediate neighbourhood, the interna- European Union expansion, and especially of finalis- tional community was primarily concerned with the esca- ing accession negotiations with Croatia and continuing lated repression against Belorussian oppositionists, Polish them with Turkey. As the future Presidency, Poland sup- minority activists included, by President Alexander ported continued sound co-operation with the President Lukashenko. During the first half of 2011, international of the European Council, the High Representative, and public opinion was also troubled by the severe political and the European Commission for the purposes of the as yet legal action taken by Ukrainian state authorities against non-finalised process of drafting a much-delayed agree- the leader of the Ukrainian opposition Yulia Tymoshenko. ment on co-operation between the European Union and Such an attitude by the authorities of both countries the Russian Federation. The matter of finalising formal towards European standards and values impacted two relations between both organisms was also crucial in upcoming events, crucial to both states and coinciding the context of prolonged negotiations concerning Russian with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European accession to the World Trade Organisation. Despite Union. Firstly, the organisation and results of the Warsaw the earlier hopes of making EU-Russian relations more Eastern Partnership Summit, postponed to September dynamic thanks to the Partnership for Modernisation 2011; secondly, the prolonged Ukrainian/European Union facility, the first year of its history blatantly displayed negotiations concerning the association agreement, a lack of any new or specific factors boosting mutual including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area co-operation. (DCFTA) agreement. In both cases, given their respective In general terms, the international situation on the eve diversity, justified concern arose that events in both states of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European could result in a deterioration of their political relations Union was enormously complicated politically as well with the European Union. In effect, the process of bring- as economically. The deteriorating US-Pakistani relations ing Minsk and Kiev closer to European Union structures following Osama-bin-Laden’s death, the ever-increasing – via the Polish Eastern Partnership Summit initiative and economic and political importance of the Chinese the association agreement with Ukraine – became jeop- People’s Republic, co-operation developing between ardised. Concurrently, the European Union was becom- leading emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, ing increasingly aware of the fact that its former neigh- and the Republic of South Africa) to a certain detriment bourhood policies had yielded rather moderate results, of those states’ relations with the European Union, and

4 On 25 May 2011, the EC and HR published a document entitled A New Response to a Changing Neighbourhood, containing conclusions summarising a review (spanning a period exceeding one year) of the European Neighbourhood Policy, and suggested improvements thereto.

15 Report 1.2. Geo-political Context of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

uncertainties as concerns the US economy – all these factors were recognised as major features of the international situation during the period immediately preceding the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. On the other hand, the European Union’s failure to adopt specific solutions to remedy the Greek crisis, and – more broadly – the eurozone as part of the Union, the threat of a second financial credit crunch, financial losses and insufficient capitalisation of numerous leading European banks (German and French in particular), and the increasingly intense armed struggle for democracy in North Africa, especially in Libya, all gave rise to concern that the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union would be summarily obscured by the day-to-day financial and economic difficulties of European Union countries, and by the North African armed conflict. Nonetheless, from a time perspective it may be concluded that the efficient organising of the Polish Presidency based on former agreements with European Union partners and institutions enabled this rotation-based presidency to succeed in focusing on predefined priorities within the framework of sectoral councils, with regard to budgeting and finance in particular. On the other hand, Lisbon Treaty restrictions notwithstanding, following earlier discussions with the President of the European Council, President of the European Commission, and the HR, the Polish Presidency actively joined the process of planning and implementing the EU’s foreign policy, specifically with regard to the EU’s reaction to Arab anti-regime uprisings, and in neighbourhood policy and the Eastern Partnership programme. Another crucial aspect was the Polish Presidency’s co-chairmanship at numerous meetings with third country partners, which translated into active participation in the Union’s internal foreign affairs dialogue.

16 1.3. Structures involved

1.3.1. The Government Plenipotentiary review and counselling teams and to commission expert and Support Staff opinions. All technical, organisational and legal as well as office and administrative support to be provided to y virtue of the Council of Ministers Ordinance the Plenipotentiary was commissioned by the Office for Bof 15 July 20085, a Government Plenipotentiary the Committee of European Integration (OCEI). Following for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative the merger of the Office with the Ministry of Foreign Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council Affairs, the Office’s responsibilities were assumed by of the European Union (Plenipotentiary) was appointed. the Ministry as of 1 January 2010. Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, Secretary of State at the Office for Exercising his competencies, the Plenipotentiary the Committee of European Integration was nominated appointed6 interdisciplinary review and counselling Plenipotentiary. The Plenipotentiary’s responsibilities teams for budget affairs, logistics and security, promo- included the following: tion and culture, and human resources management, 1) Co-ordinating government agencies’ activities in as well as an Independent Expert Team for Programming the area of preparations for the Polish Presidency the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European of the Council of the European Union, Union. The role of the teams was to draft guidelines 2) Drafting a government Programme of Preparing and recommendations in their respective core compe- the Republic of Poland for the the Presidency of tency areas, with regard to preparations for and duration the European Union Council (…), of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European 3) Co-ordinating works relating to the drafting Union. Moreover, all teams participated in drafting docu- of a programme and calendar for the Polish ments and papers presented by the Plenipotentiary for Presidency of the Council of the European Union approval to the European Committee of the Council (…), and co-ordinating works relating to the selec- of Ministers (ECCM), later renamed the Committee for tion of sector-based priorities (…), European Affairs (CEA)7, and to the Council of Ministers 4) Initiating and co-ordinating works relating to (CM). For more information on the teams’ responsibilities the preparation of draft legislation (…), and activities, see subsection 1.4.1. 5) Co-ordinating works of estimating funds required The participation of government agencies representa- for preparation and the Presidency itself (…), tives in review and counselling teams’ work was- effec 6) Co-ordinating government agencies’ activities in tive, in particular when they were granted appropriately the area of training and professional skills impro- extensive decision-making authority, enabling them to vement for administrative agency staff and other implement decisions made by the team, within the scope civil servants (…), of duties of their own seconding authority. 7) Co-operating with educational institutions Additionally, in March 2010 the Plenipotentiary ap- of European Union Member States in the field pointed a team of liaison officers to co-operate with of training and professional skills improvement (…), the Plenipotentiary on all matters relating to the European 8) Maintaining contact and exchanging experience Parliament, for ensuring effective co-ordination of co-op- with administrative agencies in other European erating with the EP when preparing ministries and central Union Member States (…), authorities for the Presidency. 9) Co-ordinating co-operation with institutions en- For adapting the content of the ordinance appointing trusted with European Union Council Presidency the Plenipotentiary to the status quo following the merg- preparations in countries joining the Republic er of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office for of Poland in group presidency, 10) Providing opinions on universal normative act drafts and other governmental document drafts concerning preparation of government administrative agencies for the Polish Presidency 6 Decision No. 1 of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. of the Council of the European Union of 9 September 2008 on appoint- Governmental administrative agencies were obliged ing interdisciplinary counselling teams (as amended), and Decision to co-operate with and support the Plenipotentiary in No. 1/2009 of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation the performance of all duties as listed. Furthermore, of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union of 5 May 2009 on appointing the Plenipotentiary was granted authority to appoint an Independent Expert Team for Programming the Polish Presidency 5 Council of Ministers Ordinance of 15 July 2008 appointing a Government of the Council of the European Union (as amended). Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative 7 Following the dismissal of the Office for the Committee of European Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union Integration by virtue of the Committee of European Integration Act (Journal of Laws No. 133, item 843 as amended). of 27 August 2009 (Journal of Laws no. 161, item 1277).

17 Report 1.3. Structures involved

the Committee of European Integration8, a relevant ordi- Union Council in 2011.11 On 28 June 2010, the President nance to this effect was published.9 of the Council of Ministers nominated Undersecretary For ensuring co-ordination of all activities with re- of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, gard to the ensuring of proper security throughout Adam Rapacki, the new Plenipotentiary. His duties includ- the Presidency, an Interdisciplinary Security Team for ed the co-ordination of tasks of government administra- the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s Presidency tive agencies, and in particular of specialist services form- of the European Union Council in 2011 was appointed by ing part of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, virtue of Ordinance No. 60 of the President of the Council to the end of ensuring security throughout the period of Ministers of 28 July 2009. The team could be set up only of preparations for and duration of Poland’s Presidency once the ordinance appointing the Plenipotentiary was of the European Union Council. These tasks included, but amended as concerns modification to his competencies were not limited to, ensuring the safety of conference in the field of co-ordinating activities to ensure security venues and meeting participants, fire protection, and throughout the period in preparations for and duration medical services. The Plenipotentiary was supported by of Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council.10 a Security Team for the Preparations for and Duration Another change in the structure of preparing Poland of Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council for the Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011, appointed by virtue of the Plenipotentiary’s resulted from the appointment of a Governmental Instruction No. 1 of 8 July 2010. The team constituted Plenipotentiary for Security in the Preparations for a review and counselling entity. and Duration of Poland’s Presidency of the European All preparation-related decisions were passed by the European Committee of the Council of Ministers, later renamed the Committee for European Affairs, as well 8 The Office for the Committee of European Integration was liquidated by virtue of the Committee of European Integration Act of 27 August 2009 as the Committee of the Council of Ministers (CCM), and (Journal of Laws No. 161, item 1277). the Council of Ministers itself. All key documents adopted 9 Council of Ministers Ordinance of 12 January 2010 amending the ordi- in the area of preparations for and duration of Poland’s nance on appointing a Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation Presidency of the European Union Council have been of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency listed in the Table below. of the Council of the European Union (Journal of Laws No. 7, item 47). 10 Council of Ministers Ordinance of 7 July 2009 amending the ordi- 11 Council of Ministers Ordinance of 28 May 2010 on appointing nance on appointing a Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation a Government Plenipotentiary for Security in the Preparations for and of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency Duration of Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 of the Council of the European Union (Journal of Laws No. 112, item 920). (Journal of Laws No. 98, item 628). Table 1. Documents Concerning Preparations for the Presidency

Name of Document Adoption/Assessment Date Ordinance on appointing a Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council 15 July 2008 (CM) of the European Union Programme of Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council 10 October 2008 (ECCM) of the European Union 13 January 2009 (CM) Information on Services Provided to Preparation Agencies of the European Union 28 November 2008 (ECCM) Council – Defining the Polish Presidency 2011 Model Guidelines for Ministries and Central Authorities on Estimating Funds Required for the Organisation and Support for the Polish Presidency of the Council 2 March 2009 (ECCM) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Information for Institutions Participating in Preparations for Presidency of the European Union Council – Application Limits for the Presidency Corps 12 May 2009 (ECCM) Included in the Central Training System Multiannual Programme: Preparation, Support, and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 9 June 2009 (ECCM) Resolution on the Setting up of a Multiannual Programme to Ensure Funding of PLN 23 June (CM) 430 million for Purposes of Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

18 Name of Document Adoption/Assessment Date Facilities Recommended as National Meeting Venues for the Polish Presidency 29 June 2009 (CM) of the Council of the European Union in 2011 Good Practices Catalogue. Guidelines to Partnership Contracts with Businesses 21 July 2009 (ECCM) Operating to Support the Organisation of the Polish Presidency Priorities and Programming of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European 21 July 2009 (ECCM) Union in 2011 Strategic Assumptions for Artistic Events Organised during the Polish Presidency 30 July 2009 (ECCM) of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union – Works 8 September 2009 (ECCM) on the Presidency Meetings Calendar Information on Additional Allocation of Funds from a Target Provision of the State Budget, Part 83, Item 9: Costs Relating to the Preparation of Administrative Agencies for Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council and Representation 8 September 2009 (ECCM) at the European Court of Justice, for Purposes of Internships and Study Tours in 2009 within the Framework of Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Criteria of Defining Sector-Related Priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council 22 September 2009 (ECCM) of the European Union Information on the Selection of EU Member State Capitals and Third Country Capitals Participating in the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency 13 October 2009 (ECCM) of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union – Works 27 October 2009 (ECCM) on the Presidency Meetings Calendar, Part Two Executive Document to the Multiannual Programme: Preparation, Support, and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second 22 December 2009 (ECCM) Half of 2011 Organisation of Interpreting Services for Meetings Held in the Course of the Polish 22 December 2009 (ECCM) Presidency of the Council of the European Union Assumptions to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council 29 January 2010 (ECCM) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011: Poland and Brussels. Calendar of Meetings Planned in the Course of the Polish Presidency of the Council 12 February 2010 (ECCM) of the European Union in 2011 Recommendations for Ministers on Co-operating with the European Parliament during Preparations and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council 3 March 2010 (CEA) of the European Union Rules of Funding and Organising Meetings Held in Poland during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 9 March 2010 (CEA) Annex 5.3: List of Meetings Held Centrally under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Supplementary Annex: List of Meetings for Purposes of which a Presidency Facility is 9 April 2010 (CEA) to be Provided Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in Brussels and other Diplomatic Posts – Staff Support for the Duration of the Polish 19 March 2010 (CEA) Presidency of the Council of the European Union

19 Report 1.3. Structures involved

Name of Document Adoption/Assessment Date List of Meetings Organised in Poland under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, for Purposes of which Financial Assistance is to 11 May 2010 (CEA) be Provided as Part of the Central Pool of the Multiannual Programme (part of the PLN 30 million fund) Communication to the Polish Society on the Polish Presidency of the Council 28 May 2010 (CEA) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Staff Support for the Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to 2 June 2010 (CEA) the European Union in Brussels and other Diplomatic Posts, Part Two Draft List of Priority Programmes for the Polish Presidency of the Council 2 July 2010 (CEA) of the European Union 21 July 2010 (CM) Staff Support for the Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to 6 July 2010 (CEA) the European Union in Brussels and other Diplomatic Posts, Part Three Programming the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Fiche 13 July 2010 (CEA) System: Project Overview and Technical Specification Guidelines on Communication Policy for Purposes of the Polish Presidency 30 July 2010 (CEA) of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Draft Polish Contribution to the Eighteen-Month Programme of the Poland- 14 September 2010 (CEA) Denmark-Cyprus Trio Rules of Organising Meetings Planned under the Polish Presidency of the Council 19 November 2010 (CEA) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Main Assumptions to the System of Co-ordinating Polish European Policy under 30 November 2010 (CEA) the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Information on an Update of Guidelines on Co-operating with Partners Providing Free-of-Charge Support to the Organisation of the Polish Presidency of the Council 30 November 2010 (CEA) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Calendar of Meetings Planned under the Polish Presidency of the Council 16 December 2010 (CEA) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in Brussels and other Diplomatic Posts – Staff Support for the Duration of the Polish 21 December 2010 (CEA) Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Part Four Security Programme for Meetings Held in the Course of Preparations for and Duration 21 January 2011 (CEA) of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Six-Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 8 March 2011 (CEA) in the Second Half of 2011 31 May 2011 (CM) Information on Co-operation with the European Parliament – Preparations for 22 March 2011 (CEA) the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Rules of Amending the Calendar of the Polish Presidency of the Council 1 April 2011 (CEA) of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Information on the Interpreting of Ministerial Speeches in the European Parliament 1 April 2011 (CEA) during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

20 Name of Document Adoption/Assessment Date Annex to the Security Programme for Meetings Held in the Course of Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 19 April 2011 (CEA) the Second Half of 2011 – Fire Security Concept for Ministerial Meetings Funds Allocation for Purposes of Additional Remuneration of Presidency Corps Members and Other Individuals Participating in the Preparations for and Duration 10 May 2011 (CEA) of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Information on Ministers Presenting the Presidency Programme to European 17 May 2011 (CEA) Parliament Committees in July 2011 Information on the Implementation of the European Document Exchange System – Poland during the Period of January 2009 through January 2011, Including 24 May 2011 (CEA) Suggestions of Future Activities in the Context of Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Calendar of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2011 24 May 2011 (CEA) Draft List of Working Groups Officially Organised in Poland as Part of the Polish 7 June 2011 (CEA) Presidency of the Council of the European Union Aggregate List of Meetings Planned for the Duration of the Polish Presidency 28 June 2011 (CEA) of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 Tentative Agendas for Sessions of Individual Council Formations under the Polish 28 June 2011 (CEA) Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The Department of Co-ordinating Preparations including co-ordination of the work of liaison officers and Support for the Polish Presidency of the Council responsible for co-operating with the Plenipotentiary of the European Union (following the merger of the Office with regard to all EP-related matters, was entrusted to for the Committee of European Integration with the Secretariat of the Minister – Section for Supporting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs renamed the Department the Chairman of the Committee for European Affairs. of Co-ordinating the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, DCP) was the organisational unit commissioned with co-ordination of all organisational 1.3.2. Units Involved Domestically activities forming part of the preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Department’s tasks included the following: draft- Interdisciplinary teams appointed by virtue ing and implementing strategies of preparations for of the Plenipotentiary’s decision of September 9th 2008 the Presidency, including a definition of a co-operation notwithstanding, individual ministries operated in-house model for all administrative agencies involved; drafting structures for co-ordinating all activities at the given and supervising the implementation of the multiannual agency relating to preparations for the Polish Presidency financial programme; drafting and updating the calendar of the Council of the European Union. The structures have of meetings planned as part of the Polish Presidency; been listed in Table 2. drafting the logistics of all key national meetings;- or ganising training sessions for Presidency corps members; handling information and promotion campaigns. The Department of Analyses and Strategies (following the merger of the Office for the Committee of European Integration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs renamed the Department of Economic Policy, DEP) was the organisational unit responsible for co-ordinating all programme- related preparations. The co-ordination of preparations for the Presidency in the field of co-operating with the European Parliament,

21 Report 1.3. Structures involved

Table 2. Ministerial/Agency Teams Appointed for Preparations for the Presidency

Authority Name of Team/Structure Date of Appointment Central Statistics Office Team for the Polish Presidency of the Council Central Statistical Office 31 October 2008 of the European Union Chancellery Team for Preparing the Chancellery of the President of the Council of the President of Ministers for Activities Relating to the Preparation of the Polish 8 September 2008 of the Council Presidency of the Council of the European Union of Ministers Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of National Education Ministry of National for Activities Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European 17 October 2008 Education Union Council by the Republic of Poland in the Second Half of 2011 Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of Finance for Activities Ministry of Finance Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European Union Council 31 July 2007 by Poland in the Second Half of 2011 The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Programme Team; as of November 2009: Steering Committee, Project Team, and four Ministry of Economy 23 August 2007 Task Forces forming part of the Polish Presidency of the European Union at the Ministry of Economy Project Team for Preparing the Ministry of Infrastructure for Activities Relating to Ministry the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second 28 November 2008 of Infrastructure Half of 2011 Ministry of Culture and The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team 29 April 2008 National Heritage Ministry of Science and The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team 4 April 2008 Higher Education Ministry of National Team for Ministry of National Defence Participation in the Polish 14 August 2008 Defence Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team for Preparing the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy for Activities Ministry of Labour and Relating to the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 24 September 2008 Social Policy the Second Half of 2011 Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Agricultural Rural Development and Units Reporting to the Minister of Agriculture 3 October 2008 and Rural Development and Rural Development for Activities Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European Union Council by Poland Ministry of Regional Project Team for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European 21 October 2008 Development Union Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of Justice for Activities Ministry of Justice Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European Union Council 1 September 2008 by Poland in 2011 Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of State Treasury for Ministry of State Activities Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European 8 September 2008 Treasury Union Council by Poland in the Second Half of 2011 Team for Preparing the Ministry of Interior and Administration for Ministry of Interior Activities Relating to the Republic of Poland’s Presidency of the European 10 October 2008 and Administration Union Council

22 Authority Name of Team/Structure Date of Appointment Ministry of Sport and The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team report- 12 August 2008 Tourism ing to the Minister of Sport and Tourism Ministry of Foreign Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for preparations for 14 July 2008 Affairs Poland assuming Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 Team for Preparing the Ministry of Environment for Activities Relating to Ministry of Environment 15 December 2008 the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Ministry of Health for Activities Ministry of Health Relating to the Assumption of Presidency of the European Union Council 14 November 2008 by the Republic of Poland in the Second Half of 2011 National Atomic Energy The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Team 17 September 2008 Agency

Office for Preparatory Team for the Polish Presidency of the Council the Committee 2 October 2007 of the European Union of European Integration

Office of Competition Team for Co-ordination of Preparing the Office for Activities Relating to and Consumer 14 August 2008 the Assumption of Presidency of the European Union Council by Poland Protection

For day-to-day co-ordination and working co-operation, The ‘Report on Progress in Preparing Public a list of contact officers was drafted – persons responsible Administration for the Presidency of the European Union for liaising with the Plenipotentiary’s support agency and Council in the Second Half of 2011’, drafted on basis for co-ordinating the information flow at individual -gov of the responses provided, was approved by the European ernment administration agencies. Thus, the traditional in- Committee of the Council of Ministers on 15 July 2008. formation flow (hard copy) was successfully boosted and Among others, it contained conclusions and recommen- accelerated, albeit not fully replaced, by correspondence dations on the document flow, progress in preparation, in electronic format and over the telephone. Moreover, use of experience of other European Union Member regular meetings of liaison officers with co-ordination States, staff training and motivation, funding, and the sug- department staff were organised at the stage of prepara- gested schedule of tasks the implementation of which was tions for the Presidency. recognised as a priority at the time. For monitoring the progress of preparatory works at all To verify results achieved within a term of one year participant authorities, questionnaire studies were held as of the date of Report approval, the Plenipotentiary to draw conclusions and recommendations for further addressed public administration agencies involved in pre- activities. paratory work with another edition of the questionnaire. The purpose of the first study organised by the Office for A form containing sixteen questions grouped into four the Committee of European Integration in May 2008 was categories (progress of preparatory work, co-ordination to obtain information on the initial level of government and flow of information, international co-operation, and agency awareness of the upcoming Polish Presidency human resources and staff preparation) was dispatched of the Council of the European Union. The questionnaire to forty-six agencies, including the Chancellery of the Sejm form included seven questions, each supplemented (Lower House of the Polish Parliament), Chancellery with additional detailed sub-items. A total of twenty- of the Senate, Chancellery of the President of the Council seven ministries and central authorities were included in of Ministers, ministries, and central authorities. the study12. Study results revealed information proving profound discrepancies in the state of knowledge and preparation 12 General Veterinary Inspectorate, Central Office of Measures, Central Statistical Office, Chancellery of the President of the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of State National Radio and Television Council, Ministry of National Education, Treasury, Ministry of Interior and Administration, Ministry of Foreign Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Infrastructure, Affairs, Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Science and Ministry of Health, National Bank of Poland, National Atomic Energy Higher Education, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Labour Agency, Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, Patent Office and Social Policy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, of the Republic of Poland, and the Public Procurement Authority.

23 Report 1.3. Structures involved

along the line of ministries and their reporting units the following: information flow irregularities, staff attrition as well as between individual ministries. All responses in the Presidency Corps, staff shortages, shortage of funds obtained, conclusions and recommendations drafted on for events planned, inefficient use of the experience of for- the basis thereof, and a summary of horizontal activities mer presidencies, and the risk of insufficient co-operation completed by the Office for the Committee of European with Poland’s predecessor – Hungary. The document was Integration have been described in a document entitled discussed by the Committee for European Affairs during ‘Review of Progress in Preparing Public Administration its session of 23 February 2010. To follow up on a commit- for the Presidency of the European Union Council in ment approved in the course thereof, another document the Second Half of 2011’ approved by the European was drafted, describing potential risk factors omitted by Committee of the Council of Ministers on 24 November results of the audit approved by the CEA on 22 June 2010. 2009. It contained recommendations concerning pre- In 2010, the Supreme Audit Office audited activities paratory works monitoring the drafting of a crisis proce- completed in the process of preparing government admin- dures manual, classified information flow, solutions in istrative agencies for Poland’s Presidency of the European the area of regulating liabilities relating to the - employ Union Council. ment of individuals involved in preparations and support The purpose of the audit was to assess the regular- of presidency, co-ordination and flow of information, and ity of activities of government administrative agencies international co-operation. responsible for preparatory tasks defined in Programme In 2009, following a motion of the President of the Council of Preparing the Republic of Poland for the Presidency of Ministers and an initiative of the Government of the European Union Council. The key purpose of the au- Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental dit was to assess whether: Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency » The Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of the Council of the European Union, an audit was held of Governmental Administrative Agencies and at ministries, central authorities, and their reporting Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European units (‘Progress in Preparing the Public Finances Sector Union, and administrative agency managers acted for Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council’ correctly in planning tasks required to prepare in 2011). The purpose of the audit was to assess the ef- Poland for the Presidency of the European Union fectiveness, rationality, and cohesion of preparations for Council, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European » The Government Plenipotentiary and administra- Union in 2011. tive agency managers acted correctly in organising Results of the study enabled an identification of poten- the performance of tasks required to prepare Poland tial preparatory work-related risk areas. Furthermore, for the Presidency of the European Union Council, they provided an opportunity to obtain information from » The Government Plenipotentiary and administrative participant agencies as to any suggestions concerning agency managers acted correctly in performing and improvements to the process, and/or to the effective- monitoring activities required to prepare Poland for ness, rationality, and/or cohesion of preparatory work at the Presidency of the European Union Council. the level of individual agencies, ministries, and the public The Supreme Audit Office audit included administration as such. The audit also allowed for good the following areas of preparation: programming activities practices to be identified and recommended for universal of the European Union Council; logistic aspects of holding application. the presidency and preparation of individuals involved The internal audit as commissioned, following prepara- in the process of preparing the Republic of Poland for tory works by the Office for the Committee of European the Presidency of the European Union Council (the so- Integration, the Chancellery of the President of Council called Presidency Corps). of Ministers, and Ministry of Finance, took place during The Chancellery of the President of the Council of the period of 26 October 2009 through 31 December 2009. Ministers, the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the On the basis of audit results, the Office for the Committee Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of European Integration drafted a document entitled were audited. Two simultaneous audits were held at the ‘Map of Risks Related to the Preparation and Support Ministry of Foreign Affairs; one focusing on the responsi- for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European bilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the other – Union’. The document outlined problem areas and po- on the performance of tasks assigned to the Government tential irregularities in the field of preparatory works, Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental potential risks related to preparations and support Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the for the presidency, suggestions for the improvement Council of the European Union. of the preparatory work process, and good practice rec- The Supreme Audit Office included the period of 15 July ommendations. Key potential problems chiefly included 2008 through 4 October 2010 in their audit. Actual audit

24 activities were held during the period of 14 July 2010 and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European through 27 October 2010. Union and the Governmental Plenipotentiary for The Supreme Audit Office announced results of the au- Security in the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s dit of preparation for the Polish Presidency on 21 February Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 were 2011. The Supreme Audit Office was positive in the assess- reporting to the European Committee of the Council ment of government administrative agency preparation of Ministers (later renamed the Committee for European for the performance of Polish Presidency-related tasks. Affairs) and the Council of Ministers on a quarterly basis. According to the Supreme Audit Office, the government The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage drafted cul- planned Presidency-related tasks correctly, with their tural programme reports. A list of all documents drafted implementation regular, and is skilled in using the experi- has been shown in Table 3. ence of former European Union Council presidencies. Moreover, both the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies

Table 3 . Reports

Document Name Adoption/Assessment Date Report on Progress in Preparing Public Administration for Poland’s Presidency of the 15 July 2008 (ECCM) European Union Council in the Second Half of 2011 Review of Progress in Preparing Public Administration for Poland’s Presidency of the 24 November 2009 (ECCM) European Union Council in the Second Half of 2011 2009 Report of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Concerning Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the 29 January 2010 (CEA) European Union in 2011 Progress of Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the 9 February 2010 (CEA) Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 in Poland and Brussels Progress of Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011 in European (Brussels 12 February 2010 (CEA) Excepted) and Non-European Capital Cities Report on Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European 23 February 2010 (CEA) Union - Map of Risks and Suggested Remedies Action Report by the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmen- tal Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European 8 June 2011 (CEA) Union – 2009 and 1st Quarter of 2010 Annex to the Map of Risks Relating to the Preparation and Support for Polish Presi- 22 June 2010 (CEA) dency of the EU Council Preparing Poland for Presidency of the EU Council – Information on the 30 July 2010 (CEA) Plenipotentiary’s Activities in the 2nd Quarter of 2010 Report of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for the 2nd Quarter of 2010 – Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of 30 July 2010 (CEA) the European Union in 2011 Report of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for the 3rd Quarter of 2010 – Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of 26 October 2010 (CEA) the European Union in 2011 Preparing Poland for Presidency of the EU Council – Information on the 5 November 2010 (CEA) Plenipotentiary’s Activities in the 3rd Quarter of 2010 Action Report by the Governmental Plenipotentiary for Security in the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 – 2nd 21 January 2011 (CEA) Half of 2010

25 Report 1.3. Structures involved

Document Name Adoption/Assessment Date Preparing Poland for Presidency of the EU Council – Information on the 28 January 2011 (CEA) Plenipotentiary’s Activities in the 4th Quarter of 2010 Report of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for the 4th Quarter of 2010 – Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of 11 February 2011 (CEA) the European Union in 2011 Action Report by the Governmental Plenipotentiary for Security in the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 (Janu- 19 April 2011 (CEA) ary 1st through March 31st 2011) Preparing Poland for Presidency of the EU Council – Information on the 10 May 2011 (CEA) Plenipotentiary’s Activities in the 1st Quarter of 2011 Preparing Poland for Presidency of the EU Council – Information on the 28 June 2011 (CEA) Plenipotentiary’s Activities in the 2nd Quarter of 2011 Report of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for the 2nd Quarter of 2011 – Works Relating to the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of 10 October 2011 (CEA) the European Union in 2011

Moreover, the European Committee of the Council and health care units. Internal Security Agency sections of Ministers, later renamed the Committee for European also took part in security-related activities. Affairs, were since September 2008 presented with day- For security purposes at class one and two meetings13, to-day information describing the current state of prepa- the Government Protection Bureau provided solutions to rations in areas of the budget, logistics, information and secure persons, facilities and equipment, identify, ana- promotion, and human resources. Comprehensive reports lyse, and prevent risks, co-ordinate security activities, and were also drafted for the Sejm and Senate of the Republic ensure personal protection. of Poland. Chief activities of the police as the lead service in pro- Co-operation with local authorities and field adminis- viding security at class three and four meetings included trative agencies was a crucial component of preparation the following: prevention and operational security (build- for Polish Presidency and its support. In case of meetings and persons), pyrotechnical control and security ings held centrally, co-operation with representatives (meeting venues and Presidency fleet vehicles), fencing of voivodship, local speakers’, and municipal authorities grid design, traffic control in the vicinity of meeting ven- (in their respective areas of competency) was the respon- ues, escorting vehicles used by heads of delegations (min- sibility of the Plenipotentiary’s support authority. In case isters or equivalents), drafting and preparing evacuation of all other events, the component of regional partner co- procedures for Presidency meeting venues. operation was the responsibility of the authority organis- The State Fire Protection Service was entrusted in paring the meeting. ticular with the surveillance of venues used for purposes According to the organisational concept adopted, each of key Polish Presidency meetings, and fire protection- voivodship appointed a plenipotentiary commissioned related agreements with the owners, administrators, with the co-ordination of activities relating to Presidency and managers of such venues. Moreover, the State Fire preparation in the region. Co-operation focused on Protection Service provided support to the police in security-related matters, the use of public space for the area of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear purposes tied in with organising Presidency events, and threat prevention. the organisation of cultural and artistic programmes and Key Border Guard activities in securing Presidency programmes for accompanying persons. meetings included security measures at airport border Furthermore, five voivodships housing central Polish crossings, passport and visa control included, as well Presidency conference venues (Lower Silesian, Masovian, as security measures in predefined areas surrounding Lesser Poland, Pomeranian, and Greater Poland voivod- 13 According to findings and decisions passed by the Security Team for ships) appointed Voivodship Security Teams for Polish the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s Presidency of the European Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Union Council in 2011, all meetings planned as part of the official Polish The Ministry of Interior and Administration established Presidency calendar were classified according to one of four categories determining the level of security measures applied, the chief criterion close co-operation in areas of crime prevention, medical being the rank represented by participants of the given event: class one services, and fire security with local police, border guard, – Heads of State or Government, class two – constitutional ministers protected under the Government Protection Bureau Act of 16 March 2001, class three – other constitutional ministers, class four - experts.

26 marine harbours and along the coastline seafront, in ample proof that unpredictable human action or natural the immediate vicinity of meeting venues. disasters may cause serious turbulence to the working Matters concerning the identification and prevention of the entire European Union, complicating Presidency- of threat to state security were handled by the Internal related processes even further. Security Agency, Intelligence Agency, and the military Following intense talks and earlier contact with repre- Counterintelligence Service. sentatives of European Union institutions and Member Medical services were provided to a total of forty-nine States, an international ‘Crisis Management in Times class one, two, and three meetings. of Presidency’ was organised (14 and 15 December 2009). It provided representatives of institutions concerned 1.3.2.1. Crisis Management with a full grasp of the importance of related issues, and with knowledge on European Union crisis management An analysis of previous presidencies commissioned at conditions and standards. All presentations and debates the introductory stage of crisis management prepara- focused on political matters, presidency reactions to po- tions in the course of Polish Presidency revealed that litical crises and natural disasters, and changes stemming European Union crisis management activities constitute from the enactment of the Lisbon Treaty. Seminar attend- approximately ten per cent of EU work in the course ees discussed major aspects of crisis communication and of any presidency. Moreover, it was symptomatic how information flow co-ordination, as well as the practical as- frequently the skill of efficient reaction to crisis threat pects of presidency reactions to assorted forms of crisis. becomes an important of not most spectacular criterion To make crisis management preparations more expedi- of assessing the quality of preparation for any presidency. ent, an expert opinion was drafted: ‘Crisis Management This is precisely why crisis management-related prepara- and Crisis Reaction in the Context of the Polish Presidency tions (technical and organisational/logistic practicalities of the European Union. Description of Mechanisms apart) have since day one formed part of mainstream Available to the Presidency in Circumstances of Crisis, preparations for the Polish Presidency of the Council and a Case Study of the Presidency’s Reaction to Political of the European Union. In light of the probable Lisbon Crisis’. Treaty enactment, major attention was given to concepts Crisis management issues were recognised as crucial of organisational changes to European Union crisis man- in the ‘Guidelines for Diplomatic Posts of the Republic agement structures. of Poland for Purposes of the Polish Presidency It was concluded that proper preparation for effective of the Council of the European Union (1 July – 31 crisis management during Polish Presidency shall require December 2011)’. The topic was presented to heads knowledge of crisis management experience and tech- of Polish diplomatic posts during the Polish ambassadors’ nique available to representatives of the so-called old debate. European Union Member States, who had been acting In co-operation with the Government Security Centre, Presidents of the European Union many times in the past. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched an initiative to Regardless, DCP management and staff as well as rep- draft standard operating procedures for purposes of de- resentatives of the Operations Centre of the Ministry signing a crisis management procedure adapted to spe- of Foreign Affairs (OC/MFA) participated in meetings with cific Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs under conditions ‘new’ Member State officials who had been involved in of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European the preparation of their own countries for Presidency in Union: ‘Path of Internal Action at the Ministry of Foreign the years 2009-2011. The first group of countries included Affairs for Purposes of Monitoring, Notification, and i.a. Germany, France, and Spain, the other – Slovenia, Decision-Making Procedures in the Crisis Management the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Area during the Polish Presidency of the Council Intense contacts with representatives of the more of the European Union’. experienced European Union Member States, expanded to include consultations with the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union (GS CEU) and 1.3.3. Involvement of Diplomatic Missions the European Commission at early stages of preparatory works already only served to confirm the necessity of assigning high priority to crisis management problems The functioning of the Polish Presidency, preparations in the process of preparing Poland for European Union included, involved the work of Polish diplomatic missions presidency. The suspension of natural gas deliver- around the globe: embassies, permanent representations, ies to the Ukraine during the Czech Presidency, and consulates, and Polish institutes. Some promoted Poland the earthquakes in Haiti and the explosion of the Icelandic and the Polish Presidency as part of their regular duties, Eyjafjallajökull volcano under the Spanish Presidency were while others were entrusted with activities strictly relating

27 Report 1.3. Structures involved

to the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European the Permanent Representation included regular contact Union, as part of a number of activity areas. with European media. Many diplomatic posts were commissioned to organise On 23 May 2011, the new venue of the Permanent events planned outside Poland, and to support minis- Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European tries in the organisation of meetings abroad. Therefore, Union was officially opened, with the opening ceremony throughout 2011, diplomatic posts engaged in intense attended by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President preparation chiefly focusing on organisation and logistics, of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, President whereas in the second half of 2011 they implemented all of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, and President events planned, co-ordinating their work with European of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. Union Delegations at their respective locations. On the enactment of the Treaty of Lisbon, EU Delegations assumed 1.3.4.1. Meeting Planning Co-ordinator (MPC) the lead as agencies responsible for co-ordinating EU foreign policy in third countries. Meetings were organised in In light of the extensive scope of tasks assigned to the a variety of formats: conferences, seminars, working group Polish PR (preparations for and co-ordination of the Polish sessions, ministerial forums, technical consultation groups, Presidency in Brussels), a co-ordinating team was estab- councils, workshops, and many others, as well as numer- lished: the Meeting Planning Coordinator, or MPC. The ous accompanying events. MPC’s duties included the drafting and updating of -wor Public diplomacy and culture were crucial to the activities king group session calendar, support for working group of Polish foreign missions. The fundamental purpose of all and sector-focusing council sessions, securing interpreting related activities was to strengthen the political message services required, co-ordinating co-operation with the DG of the Polish Presidency, and to promote a positive image SCIC (Directorate General for Interpretation), co-operating of Poland (more on the topic in section 2.5.11., ‘Foreign with General Secretariats of the European Union Council Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency 2011’.). and European Commission, and securing the logistics and Another crucial area of activity involved the role en- finance-related activities of the Presidency. trusted to selected missions (European Union represen- To the end of adopting good practices for drafting -wor tations) responsible for preparing and chairing regular king group session calendar, planning budget and expense meetings. These were primarily sessions of Heads of local schedules and providing logistical support required by the Missions (HoMs), but also meetings convened at varying presidency, the MPC contacted co-ordinators of the Hun- levels to discuss political, economic, consular, visa-relat- garian, Belgian, and Spanish presidencies, and organised a ed, and cultural missions (more on the topic in section series of meetings with the staff of the General Secretariat 1.5.2.3., ‘Co-operation in Third Countries’). of the European Union Council. Practicalities were discussed, such as Presidency calendar management, procedures of ordering catering and other services, distribution 1 .3 .4 . Role and Responsibilities of the of souvenirs to delegates, venue decoration, and financial Permanent Representation in Brussels accounting. Furthermore, the MPC supervised works to draft a set of In-house Guidelines, outlining good practices for working For the purposes of the Polish Presidency of the Council group session planning, organising preparatory meetings of the European Union, a special role was assigned to of the Council of the European Union, and other working the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland group session-related procedures. The Guidelines were to to the European Union (Permanent Representation be delivered to chairpersons of working groups and other of the Republic of Poland to the European Union – PR staff involved in supporting the Council’s preparatory bo- of RP/EU). The PR was the acting co-ordinator for co- dies, and presented to chairpersons and their deputies in operation between government agencies of the country the course of workshops organised by the MPC Team in of the Presidency and European Union institutions; its role Warsaw (April 2011) and Brussels. was crucial in terms of providing support to preparatory To ensure efficient communication with a team of more bodies of the European Union Council, and consisted in than two hundred chairpersons and their deputies in Po- the management of works engaged in by COREPER II and land and at the PR, a dedicated database and email ne- COREPER I, working groups, and other Council committees. twork was set up. Furthermore, the Polish PR was responsible for the logistical side of organising all Presidency-related works in Brussels: drafting working group session calendar, preparing conferences and seminars, and distributing promotional materials relating to the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Other important tasks assigned to

28 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included

1.4.1. Review and Counselling Teams were invited to join the teams. Nonetheless, in order to ensure proper representativeness of all activities, the Plenipotentiary agreed to expand the teams to include he teams were responsible for supporting representatives of ministries or other agencies expressing Tthe Plenipotentiary in matters technical and of merit such a will. In light of the counselling role of the teams at the stages of preparing for the Presidency and taking and their flexible structure, no rules of procedure applied. office. They drafted guidelines and recommendations Permanent members apart, meetings were attended in their respective specialty areas, and participated in by observers, usually representatives of ministries or the process of drafting the Plenipotentiary’s documents agencies concerned with the issue on the team’s current filed for approval with the Committee for European agenda. Furthermore, meetings were attended by experts Affairs (formerly known as the European Committee invited from a variety of institutions, representatives of the Council of Ministers) and the Council of Ministers. of Chancelleries of the Polish Sejm and Senate included. By virtue of the Plenipotentiary’s decision of The Plenipotentiary’s support agency staff also took part 9 September 2008 on appointing interdisciplinary in the teams’ work, depending on their respective fields counselling teams, teams specialising in the following of responsibilities and competencies. areas were established: budget affairs, logistics and Team support was provided by the Ministry security, promotion and culture, and human resources of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Co-ordinating the Polish management. Presidency of the Council of the European Union (for- An interdisciplinary counselling team (Polish merly the Department of Co-ordinating Preparations Presidency Programming Team) was appointed by and Support for the Polish Presidency of the Council virtue of the Plenipotentiary’s decision of 9 April 2010 of the European Union at the Office for the Committee for supporting the Plenipotentiary in the Presidency’s of European Integration), and the Ministry of Foreign programme-related preparation. The team’s chief Affairs’ Department of Economic Policy (programme responsibility involved the drafting of guidelines and team). The Department set up a working database of team recommendations in programme-related preparation session participants, and was responsible for co-ordinat- (including the Presidency priorities list, the ‘Six-Month ing all communication with them. Team communication Programme of the Polish Presidency, contributions to took place during sessions and by email. Information on the Eighteen-Month Programme of the Poland-Denmark- all team meetings held (meeting agendas and memos) Cyprus Trio’, programme summaries, sector-based pri- was also made available to Presidency Corps members – orities, sector-focusing Council agendas, comments to Extranet users at: https://extranet.prezydencjaue.gov.pl, the European Parliament’s programme document outlin- and sent by email to ministries and agencies on demand. ing the priorities dossier for the EP work agenda under Since competencies concerning meeting security were the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European assigned to the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Union). Moreover, the team facilitated information and in light of that Ministry appointing a dedicated team exchange between individual ministries at the prepara- responsible for the drafting and implementing of security tions stage, and served as a forum for a tentative ac- measures for the term of the Polish Presidency, the role cord with regard to programme-related aspects prior of the logistics and security team was restricted. to CEA’s formal decisions. Team co-ordinators included Information on team work results was contained in representatives of ministries and relevant central agen- memos describing individual team activities, as well as in cies. In the case of the budget, promotion and culture, documents reporting on the Plenipotentiary’s work (in- and human resources teams, they were representatives cluding day-to-day information and the Plenipotentiary’s of the Office for the Committee of European Integration, quarterly reports on Polish preparations for the Presidency later of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A representa- of the Council of the European Union, presented to ECCM tive of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, later and CEA meetings). The number of review and counsel- replaced by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff member, ling team meetings is shown in the table below. was the co-ordinator for the logistics and security team; the programming team was co-ordinated by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative. Team members were seconded by individual ministries and agencies as stipulated in appointment decisions, in conformity to need and in-house assessment. Given the need to ensure high functionality of all teams and their operational efficiency, not all ministries and agencies taking part in preparations for the Polish Presidency

29 Report 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included

Table 4. Meetings of the Plenipotentiary’s Review and Counselling Teams

Name of Team Number of Meetings, 2008-2012 Presidency Programme Team 18 meetings (2010-2011) Budget Affairs Team 40 meetings (2008-2012) Logistics and Security Team 12 meetings (2008-2010)14 Promotion and Culture Team 14 meetings (2008-2010) Human Resources Management Team 17 meetings (2008-2011) Total: 2008-201215 101 meetings

1.4.2. Interdisciplinary Co-ordination outlined tasks for implementation. Additionally, the ECCM served as a forum for the permanent exchange of information concerning preparations for the Polish Presidency. 1.4.2.1. European Committee of At a session on 31 July 2007, the ECCM adopted the Council of Ministers (ECCM) the ‘Assumptions to Government Agency Preparation for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union All government agency activities to prepare for in the Second Half of 2011’, thus launching their forum the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European of the formal process of preparing for the Polish Presidency Union in the second half of 2011 took place within of the Council of the European Union. The document out- the framework of the operational system of European lined information concerning activities to be completed policy co-ordination. as part of the preparations for the Polish Presidency, and In conformity to the Prime Minister’ Ordinance No. 30 summarised the experience of former presidencies. of 23 March 2004 (Polish Monitor 2004 No. 14 item 223, Studies held at government agencies yielded as amended), the European Committee of the Council the ‘Report on Progress in Preparing Public Administration of Ministers was the authority responsible for review, for the Presidency of the European Union Council in counselling, and support to the Council of Ministers and the Second Half of 2011’, approved by the ECCM meet- the Prime Minister in the field of the Polish Presidency. ing of 15 July 2008 following discussion. At the meeting, The ECCM was an operational decision-making body the Committee placed a requirement on ministries and serving as a forum to agree and pass decisions, and to central agencies to complete their duties as listed in resolve most issues relating to the Polish Presidency the Report. of the Council of the European Union. As stipulated in Another crucial item on the Committee’s agenda with the aforementioned ordinance, the ECCM reviewed regard to preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU (among others) ‘analyses, assessments, and documents Council was that of ECCM adopting on 28 October 2008 describing the preparation of government agencies for the ‘Programme of Preparing the Republic of Poland for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European the Presidency of the European Union Council’, as submit- Union’. ted by the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation The process of preparing for the Polish Presidency in- of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s volved a number of areas, and was an extremely complex Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The ‘pro- and dynamic process requiring excellent co-ordination, gramme’ was recognised as a formal basis for all activities with the ECCM assigned a key role therein. ECCM meetings targeting efficient preparation for the Polish Presidency, regularly approved documents relating to preparations and outlined all indispensable administrative agency du- for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European ties in a variety of areas of preparation: logistics, human Union16, debated subsequent preparation stages, and resources management, information and promotion, and programming, tasks schedule included. The document 14 As the Ministry of Interior appointed a separate team for the draft- was recommended for review to the Council of Ministers. ing and implementing of security measures for the term of the Polish Once the Programme and its performance progress Presidency, the last logistics and security team meeting was held in July 2010. were approved, the ECCM regularly reviewed documents 15 Outside meetings, all teams also proceeded to resolve day-to-day mat- describing the process of making the Programme op- ters in circulation. erational, i.e. action taken with regard to budgeting, pro- 16 A set of documents describing the process of preparing for Poland’s gramming, and information/promotion. Regular progress Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half monitoring involved four quarterly progress report pres- of 2011 and discussed at ECCM and CEA meetings has been annexed entations to ECCM meetings with regard to preparations to the Report.

30 for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European whereas on 10 October 2009 ten capital cities were se- Union (2 February, 12 May, 30 July, and 24 November lected for the Presidency’s cultural programme abroad. 2009). The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage – the entity ECCM meetings decided and resolved as to the co-ordi- responsible for the special activity of drafting and imple- nation and implementation of tasks planned as part of pro- menting the Presidency’s cultural programme – reported gramme preparation for Poland’s Presidency of the Council on its progress on a regular basis. of the European Union, as well as to the choice of Poland’s The ECCM was also important to the co-ordination and sector- and Presidency-related priorities. implementation of activities relating to the Presidency’s The ECCM meeting of 28 November 2008 approved logistics. Key challenges at the time included the- draft a document entitled ‘Information on Services Provided ing of a calendar of meetings and events planned for to Preparation Agencies of the European Union Council the second half of 2011. A tentative calendar for the Polish – Defining the Polish Presidency 2011 Model’, defining Presidency drafted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Polish Presidency model as ‘mixed’, to be co-managed the basis of applications filed by ministries and central from Poland and Brussels. agencies was presented to ECCM meetings on 8 September On 21 July 2009, the ECCM approved a package of pro- and 27 October 2009. gramme documents, including papers on the methodology Ensuring proper funding of all activities was crucial for of selecting priorities and programming works for the Polish the efficient and timely completion of all tasks relating Presidency. Furthermore, a works calendar for the Poland- to Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Denmark-Cyprus Trio was adopted, as were guidelines for Union in the second half of 2011; thus, at the session ministries with regard to the drafting of a review of policy of 9 June 2009, the ECCM approved a multiannual pro- issues potentially crucial to the European Union agenda gramme: ‘Preparation, Support, and Duration of the Polish under the Polish Presidency in 2011. Ministries were given Presidency of the Council of the European Union in a requirement to present the Plenipotentiary with results the Second Half of 2011’. The multiannual programme of the review (a so-called inventory) in the form of a table involved a comprehensive inventory of all costs budgeted and memos describing each and every policy area. for the Polish Presidency, i.e. expenses co-ordinated cen- In a document entitled ‘Criteria of Defining Sector- trally by the Plenipotentiary as well as expenses incurred Related Priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council by the participation of ministries and central agencies of the European Union’ adopted on 22 September in the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European 2009, the Committee approved all related guidelines. Union, preparations included. On 30 October 2009, The ‘Criteria’ were then recommended for review by the multiannual programme was amended. All documents the Council of Ministers. listed were recommended for review by the permanent An updated proposal of the Polish Presidency priorities Committee of the Council of Ministers. was finally approved at the ECCM meeting of 16 October Furthermore, on 22 December 2009 the ECCM approved 2009, and recommended for review by the Council an executive document to the multiannual programme of Ministers. aimed at determining rules for spending funds, and of set- Guidelines determining ministerial duties with regard ting up a reporting system. In consequence, all institutions to the inventory of policy issues potentially forming part benefitting from the multiannual programme as fund us- of the European Union agenda under the Polish Presidency ers were made part of a uniform system of rules ensuring were outlined in a document entitled ‘Priorities and the efficient and transparent management of Presidency- Programming of the Polish Presidency of the Council allocated finance. of the European Union in 2011 – Operational Aspects’, In light of the 2009 efforts to attract partners for adopted by the ECCM on 21 July 2009. In October and the purpose of Poland’s Presidency, organisational mat- November 2009, feedback from ministries and central ters included, on 21 July 2009 the ECCM approved a ‘Good agencies was used to draft the ‘Information on Policy Issues Practices Catalogue. Guidelines to Partnership Contracts for the Second Half of the 2011’, reviewed by an ECCM with Businesses Operating to Support the Organisation meeting on 1 December 2009. Moreover, the Committee of the Polish Presidency’. The document outlined the rules placed a requirement on all ministries to update the in- of the public administration’s co-operation with the private ventory of policy issues after the European Commission’s sector, in particular with regard to the principles of private ‘Action Plan 2010-2014’ had been published. businesses providing free-of-charge products or services Furthermore, the ECCM handled work concerning to support the Polish Presidency. the co-ordination of the content of the Presidency’s Within the framework of co-ordinating government cultural programme. On 28 August 2009, ‘Strategic agency work in the field of training and qualifications to im- Assumptions to the Cultural Programme of the Polish prove government staff and other civil servants for duties Presidency in the Second Half of 2011’ were adopted, to be performed under the Polish Presidency of the Council

31 Report 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included

of the European Union, training guidelines were drafted, To ensure proper co-ordination and implementation and application limits introduced for the centrally trained of duties involved in the drafting of a programme for Presidency Corps in the first half of 2009. the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as of efforts to select Poland’s sector- and 1.4.2.2. Committee for European Affairs (CEA) Presidency-related priorities, the CEA took intense action from early 2010 in drafting a list of Presidency priorities As of 1 January 2010, upon the enactment of the (general and sector-related) in individual European Union Committee for European Affairs Act of 27 August 200917 all Council configurations. activities relating to preparations for the Polish Presidency The Government Plenipotentiary’s paper of 17 February were assumed by the newly formed Committee18. 2010 (‘Calendar of Sector-Related Priority Presentations Preparations for CEA sessions were handled by the CEA to the CEA’, 1st Quarter of 2010) defined March 2010 Preparatory Team19, who consulted comments to CEA as the date of sector-related priority presentation by indi- documents and recommended appropriate decisions vidual ministries and agencies. to the Committee. The monitoring and communication At an CEA meeting on 2 March 2010, the already drafted mechanisms created within the system guaranteed day- sector-related priorities of the Polish Presidency were dis- to-day information exchange on the form and progress cussed in the context of the specificity of European Union of tasks, and risks relating to the process of preparing for Council configurations. By the end of May 2010, priorities the Polish Presidency. This became particularly important planned to be presented at the following forums were as of early 2010, when work in the area became consider- agreed: ably more intense. » Economic and Financial Affairs Council (CEA The regular monitoring of progress in preparations 2 March 2010), for the Polish Presidency involved four presentations » Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Coun- of the status quo of preparations for Poland’s Presidency cil (CEA 9/19 March 2010, and 13 April 2010), of the Council of the European Union to CEA meet- » Environment Council (CEA 9 March 2010), ings (8 June and 30 July 2010, and 28 January and » Agriculture and Fisheries Council (CEA 12 March 10 May 2011). Moreover, on 28 June and 21 November 2010), 2011, the CEA approved the information on activities » Competitiveness Council (CEA 20 April 2010 and of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation 13 May 2010), of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s » Justice and Home Affairs Council (CEA 19 March Presidency of the Council of the European Union for 2010), the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2011. All the aforementioned » Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer documents were recommended for review by the Council Affairs Council (CEA 26 March 2010), of Ministers. » Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council An audit held at all ministries and central agencies (CEA 20 April 2010), in the 4th quarter of 2009 yielded a document outlining » General Affairs Council (CEA 23 April 2010), a map of risks relating to the process of preparing for » Foreign Affairs Council20 (CEA 28 May 2010). the Polish Presidency, discussed at an CEA meeting (in At an CEA meeting of 7 May 2010 attended by Catherine the presence of Directors General of the Committee’s Day, Secretary General of the European Commission, member institutions) on 23 February 2010. The docu- CEA members discussed the European Commission’s ment outlined problem areas and potential irregularities 2010 priorities in the context of future Polish Presidency in preparatory works, potential risks related to prepara- of the Council of the European Union. tions and support for the Presidency, suggestions for 2 July 2010: the CEA adopted the ‘Draft List of Priority the improvement of the preparatory work process, and Programmes for the Polish Presidency of the Council good practice recommendations. of the European Union’. In particular, the document rec- To follow up on the commitment of the February meet- ognised ministerial motions consequent to an analysis ing, another document was drafted (describing potential of the 2010 European Commission action plan, and an up- risk factors omitted by results of the audit), and approved date of the catalogue of policy issues potentially to be made by the CEA on 22 June 2010. part of the Polish Presidency’s agenda. The document was recommended for review by the Council of Ministers. 17 Journal of Laws 2009 No. 161, item 1277. 13 July 2010: the CEA approved the ‘Programming 18 Concurrently, the European Committee of the Council of Ministers the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European ceased to exist [dismissed under Ordinance No. 37 of the President of the Council of Ministers of 10 June 2010 (Polish Monitor 2010 No. 44, Union. Fiche System: Project Overview and Technical item 625)]. 19 Appointed by virtue of Committee for European Affairs Chairman’s 20 Including a tentative list of activities, projects, and programmes for Ordinance No. 1/2010 of 26 November 2010. implementation as part of the Eastern Partnership.

32 Specification’ document, outlining the final specification for Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European for the system in question. Union22. The simple fact of CEA adopting the ‘Programme’ 30 July 2010: the Government Plenipotentiary pre- was obviously not tantamount to the close of related sented ‘Information on the Inventory of Policy Issues works. Given the considerable dynamics of legislative for the Second Half of 2001 – Catalogue of Policy Issues works in the European Union, the CEA approved another for the Polish Presidency’s Agenda’ to the CEA meet- two ‘Programme’ updates, on 17 May and 21 June 2011, ing. The Committee approved the amended release respectively. All document releases were recommended of the Catalogue. for review by the Council of Ministers. In recognition of the fact that the European Commission Furthermore, CEA continued their work on the co- published its 2011 action plan, as of February 2010 ordination and implementation of activities concerning ‘Updates of Catalogue of Potential Policy Issues on Presidency logistics. the Polish Presidency’s Agenda for the Second Half In consequence of the Decision of the European Council of 2011’ were presented to CEA meetings. of 1 December 2009 adopting its Rules of Procedure23, Updates for the following were presented in the order the necessity arose to reassess and amend the dates as listed below: of selected meetings to be organised under the Polish » Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and Presidency. The reassessment and amendment proce- Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (EYCS) dure closed on 12 February 2010 with the CEA approving – 1 February 2011, the updated release of the tentative meetings calendar24. » General Affairs Council (GAC) and Transport, On 9 March 2010, the CEA approved the ‘Rules Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) of Funding and Organising Meetings Held in Poland dur- – 8 February 2011, ing the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European » Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), Union’, whereas on 9 April 2010 the ‘List of Meetings Competitiveness Council (COMPET) and for the Purposes of which Presidency Venues are to be Environment Council (ENVI) – 11 February 2011, Provided’ was agreed. » Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) Additionally, works to set up a procedure of updating – 18 February 2011, the Presidency Calendar began, with the procedure finally » Employment, Social Policy, Health, and Consumer approved by the CEA on 1 April 2011. Affairs Council (EPSCO) – 22 February 2011, On 24 May 2011, the CEA approved the ‘Calendar » Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) – 5 May 2011. of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European In June 2011, CEA began accepting programme fiches Union 2011’. The ‘Calendar’ specified European Council – the basic operational tool for the Polish Presidency. sessions, formal and informal meetings of the Council Each fiche contained strictly defined negotiations guide- of the European Union in a variety of configurations, and lines (negotiations margins included) and targets to be informal ministerial meetings. The ‘Calendar’s’ English ver- achieved on matters debated in the European Union sion was submitted to the Secretary General of the Council under the Polish Presidency, including the European of the European Union, and to Member States. Parliament-related decision-making process. Moreover, on 7 June 2011 the CEA approved a docu- The Committee approved the negotiation mandate ment containing a list of fifteen Working Group meetings (fiche items: ‘description of importance to the Polish to be officially organised in Poland under our Presidency. Presidency and to Poland, Presidency objective / desired The list was submitted to the Permanent Representation result; negotiations margin’). The fiche approval sched- of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in ule at CEA was as follows: 21 June 2011 – EPSCO, GAC, Brussels for approval by the COREPER. AGRIFISH, ENVI, programme fiche package concerning The final version of the ‘Calendar of the Polish the Multiannual Financial Framework21, JHA, ECOFIN; Presidency’ was approved on 28 June 2011. 28 June 2011 – TTE, EYCS, COMPET, FAC. Furthermore, the CEA handled efforts to intro- After CEA had approved the fiches, all ministries and duce appropriate security measures during the term central agencies were ordered to make them part of an of the Polish Presidency. At a session of 21 January 2011, on-line system, and to update them as appropriate. the ‘Security Programme for Meetings Held in the Course Agreeing the ‘Six-Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 22 The Eighteen-Month Programme of the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Trio the Second Half of 2011’ at an CEA meeting on 8 March was approved by the CEA on 14 September 2010. 23 2011 was a crucial component of the process of preparing European Council Decision of 1 December 2009 adopting its Rules of Procedure (2009/882/UE) (Official Journal of the European Union 21 The extraordinary course of approving the package as a whole tied in L315 of 2 December 2009). with the CEA’s decision of 17 May 2011 on refraining from mentioning 24 The Presidency Calendar was also regularly consulted with MFF-related financial issues at sector-related Council meetings, and the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European stemmed from a necessity to ensure the cohesion of MFF-related issues. Union.

33 Report 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included

of Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency 4) Information on ministers presenting the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half programme to EP Committees in July 2011 (17 May of 2011’ was presented alongside the ‘Action Report 2011 and 15 June 2011), by the Governmental Plenipotentiary for Security in 5) Information on agendas of EP plenary sessions un- the Preparations for and Duration of Poland’s Presidency der the Polish Presidency as a basis for the plan- of the European Union Council in 2011 – 2nd Half of 2010’. ning of ministerial interventions at the EP (19 April Four subsequent action reports by the Governmental 2011), Plenipotentiary for Security were submitted to Committee 6) Information on the extent of support offered to members, in April, July, and October 2011, and in January Presidency ministers by the EP’s interpreting servi- 2012, respectively. ces for purposes of interventions and meetings at Furthermore, in preparing for the Polish Presidency, the EP (1 April 2011), the CEA attached great importance to co-operation with 7) Information on the need to pre-book hotels the European Parliament. of ministerial participation in EP plenary sessions in To ensure proper cohesion and effectiveness Strasbourg (8 April 2011). of such co-operation, ‘Recommendations for Ministers on Co-operating with the European Parliament during The commencement of the Polish Presidency Preparations for and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July 2011 re- of the Council of the European Union’ were drafted and quired changes to the standard system of European approved by the CEA at a meeting of 5 March 2010. policy co-ordination. CEA’s activity was consider- Moreover, the CEA placed a requirement on ministries ably restricted (committee sessions were suspended for and central agencies to appoint so-called liaison officers the term of the Presidency), with all documents consulted to co-operate with the Government Plenipotentiary on all by correspondence. matters related to the European Parliament. During the period, committee works focused primar- At an CEA meeting on 25 June 2010, co-operation ily on matters concerning Poland’s responsibilities with the EP was discussed in the context of preparing as a Member State, or on the performance of duties for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European stipulated by national legislation (such as acting under Union, the meeting attended by the Secretary General the Co-operation Act25). of the European Parliament Klaus Welle. The majority of CEA competencies relating to co- On 24 May 2011, CEA members attended a consulta- ordination and decision-making with regard to matters tion meeting with Pierre de Boissieu, Head of Office to of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union were for the period assumed by the Support Union, David Harley, former Deputy Secretary General Committee for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Parliament, and Marek Mora. of the European Union, whose operations have been de- The meeting focused on EP hearings, and on co-oper- scribed hereinafter. Nonetheless, the CEA was accepting ation of the Presidency with the General Secretariat of new or updated fiches on a regular basis alongside infor- the Council of the European Union, and with the European mation on fiches removed from the on-line system (for Parliament. example when the European Commission did not submit The Committee for European Affairs regularly reviewed a previously planned draft). and approved the various aspects of administrative agencies’ preparations for the Polish Presidency in the area of co-operating with the European Parliament: 1.4.2.3. Support Committee for the Polish Presidency 1) Identifying key EP representatives from of the Council of the European Union – Early the viewpoint of sector-related Presidency priorities Warning and European Dossier Analysis Team (9 November 2010), 2) Meetings of top ministerial and central agency Preparations for the Polish Presidency required a rapid representatives with identified key EP represen- decision with regard to a co-ordination model appropriate tatives (5 November 2010, 9 November 2010, for the term of the Presidency itself, enabling swift and 18 January 2011, 18 February 2011, 1 March 2011, timely communication between all participants of the pro- 12 April 2011), cess, and immediate reaction to any crisis situation or to 3) Status quo of ministry preparation for visits of EP unpredicted circumstances requiring urgent government- commissions and EP political groups to Poland, level decisions. and for the Conference of Presidents of the EP (18 March 2011 and 10 May 2011), 25 Act of 8 October 2010 on co-operation of the Council of Ministers with the Sejm and Senate on matters of the Republic of Poland’s European Union membership (Journal of Laws 2010, No. 213, item 1395).

34 The model used by the Polish administration was de- requests for assistance in Committee works, and commis- signed to ensure operability, decisiveness, and opportu- sioned expert opinions. nity for immediate political reaction on matters relating Immediately following the close of any SCP meeting, to the role of the state presiding over works at the Council a report of findings was drafted and distributed to all of the European Union. meeting participants upon approval by the Chairman and To the end of achieving all targets planned, a Support Secretary; in justified cases, the report was also delivered Committee for the Polish Presidency of the Council to other entities. of the European Union – Early Warning and European SCP members, their deputies, SCP’s permanent support Dossier Analysis Team (SCP/EWDAT) was appointed. staff and their deputies received daily information bulle- The team’s legal ramification was laid out in the following: tins drafted at the Permanent Representation of RP/EU, » Ordinance of the Prime Minister of 21 June 2011 on containing lead information on all crucial events in and to the Support Committee for the Polish Presidency the European Union, as well as information bulletins on of the Council of the European Union (SCP) (‘Polish European Union activities, including materials drafted by Monitor’ No. 53 item 564), the Operations Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. » Council of Ministers’ resolution No. 97 Furthermore, SCP members received information on of 14 June 2011 amending the Council of Ministers’ lines to take on crucial matters in case of interest- ex resolution authorising the Committee for European pressed by the media or external partners. Lines to take Affairs to assess, resolve, or consult on matters were delivered in electronic format only. of the Republic of Poland’s European Union mem- The SCP met at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister on bership (‘Polish Monitor’ No. 50, item 554), a regular basis, at least twice a week if possible. » Council of Ministers’ resolution No. 97 Thirty-seven SCP meetings were held under the Polish of 14 June 2011 amending the ‘Rules of Procedure Presidency to discuss the most important events on of the Council of Ministers’ resolution (‘Polish the European agenda during the term of Poland presid- Monitor’ No. 50, item 553). ing over works of the Council of the European Union, and to resolve issues relating to the Polish Presidency’s Committee membership was assigned as follows: operational tactics. The latter focused on circumstances » Chairman – Secretary for European Affairs suggesting a grave threat to compromise, a real threat (Minister M. Dowgielewicz); to targets assumed in the Presidency’s programme or » Deputy Chairman – Minister-Council of Ministers in programme fiches, a serious violation of Polish inter- Member (Minister M. Boni); est, or crisis situations – all in the course of debates at » Two representatives of the Head of the the Council or preparatory bodies’ level. Chancellery of the Prime Minister; Furthermore, the Committee decided on nego- » One representative each from the Ministries tiation tactics with regard to legislation debated aspart of Economy, Finance, and Interior and of the European agenda at assorted stages of the decision- Administration; making process.26 It also decided on urgent matters, such » Poland’s representative at COREPER II as the drafting of compromise Presidency proposals on an (Ambassador J. Tombiński); issue, or ensuring appropriate representation at the nucle- » Poland’s representative at COREPER I ar safety group, called ad hoc under the Polish Presidency. (Counsellor – Minister K. Ostrzyniewska). Additionally, the Committee ensured day-to-day Representatives of other ministries (secretaries of un- monitoring for the preparation, proceedings, and results dersecretaries of state) were also invited to Committee of the European Council and sector council sessions, sessions, if matters discussed required their presence. as well as of other meetings key to the implementation The SCP’s chief responsibility was to review posi- of the Polish Presidency objectives (primarily including tions concerning the implementation of the ‘Six-Month the Eastern Partnership Summit in Warsaw on 29 and Programme of the Polish Presidency’ and programme 30 September 2011, the Equality Summit in Poznań on fiches, and to review organisational and logistics-related 14 and 15 November 2011, and the Durban Climate issues stemming from the Polish Presidency of the Council 26 For example, the SCP analysed the course of negotiations concerning of the European Union. the so-called ‘Six-Pack’ (package of five European Union regulations The SCP’s Chairman, Minister Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, and one directive, introducing stricter public finance discipline to convoked and chaired Committee meetings, decided European Union Member States); the draft Integrated Maritime Policy as to the final meeting agenda, and outlined duties financing regulation; the directive establishing a single European railway area; the regulation of the European Parliament and the Council to be performed by Committee members in recogni- concerning the placing on the market and use of biocidal products; tion of the field represented. Exercising his authority, the draft ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ regulation; the EU Patent Package; the Chairman also applied to assorted institutions with the closing of accession negotiations with Croatia; the impact assessment of draft EU legislation; the issue of Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area; or the association agreement with Ukraine.

35 Report 1.4. Co-ordination and decision making during the Polish Presidency, preparation stage included

Conference on 28 November through 11 December Moreover, in performing the duty assigned to him by the 2011). Committee of the Council of Ministers on 15 June 2009, An analysis of SCP’s operations confirmed that an op- the Plenipotentiary submitted quarterly progress reports timum model of co-ordinating of the Polish Presidency’s on the multiannual programme to members of the Com- activities had been adopted. Joint efforts assured co-op- mittee of the Council of Ministers. The reports were also eration at different levels of the European decision-mak- distributed to the Council of Ministers. ing process, while cohesion in the Presidency’s position assured considerable impact on the forming and shaping of the agenda and the programming of compromise- based solutions.

1.4.3. Committee of the Council of Ministers/ Council of Ministers

During preparation for as well as in the term of the Polish Presidency itself, the Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Council of Ministers approved or reviewed numerous Presidency-related documents. Documents approved by the Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Council of Ministers focused on a multitude of aspects, such as programming, logistics, and finance. Furthermore, the Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union provided the Council of Ministers with day-to-day information on works in progress. Key documents approved by the Council of Ministers include the following: » Resolution appointing the Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (15 July 2008), » Programme of Preparing the Republic of Poland for the Presidency of the European Union Council (13 January 2009), » Council of Ministers’ resolution establishing the multiannual programme: ‘Preparation, Support, and Duration of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011’ (23 June 2009), with subsequent amendments, » Facilities recommended as national meeting venues under the Polish Presidency of the European Union Council in 2011 (29 June 2009, by circulation), » Draft List of Priority Programmes of the Polish Presidency (21 June 2010), » ‘Six-Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011’, submitted by the Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (31 May 2011).

36 1.5. International Co-operation

1.5.1. Co-operation with Member States On 9 May 2011, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met the Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Cypriot President Demetris Christofias in Warsaw. o-operation with Trio partners and European Union Talks focused on the upcoming Polish Presidency, and Cinstitutions was a valuable lesson, bringing Member the launch of Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Trio co-operation. States closer to one another, and allowing for institutions Trio-based co-operation has continued after the close to be truly learnt, for positions to be negotiated, and for of the Polish Presidency. Intense co-operation with Cyprus compromise to be developed. It enabled national contri- serves purposes of discussing the current European butions to the programme (and subsequent comments) agenda and identifying areas of potential Polish support to be analysed, favourably influencing the status quo for Cypriot Presidency, among others. of preparatory works. As a result of close co-operation (nine meetings at Trio co-ordinator level), a document was drafted outlining challenges faced by the European 1.5.1.1. Bilateral Consultations Union and areas of priority for all three presidencies. Trio- based co-operation guarantees cohesion in European Some of the Plenipotentiary’s foreign visits served Union activities. the purpose of gaining knowledge of the experience Poland began co-operating within the Denmark and of states that held the presidency prior to Poland. Relevant Cyprus Trio in 2008. Regular co-operation continued at knowledge was shared in plenary talks as well as during a variety of levels: foreign affairs and sector ministers, and special-purpose presentations prepared for Polish del- directors at ministries of foreign affairs and at other rel- egations by units responsible for presidency preparations evant agencies. Trilateral co-operation between Poland, in individual countries. Such presentations were organ- Denmark, and Cyprus was consistently maintained and ised for example during Polish visits to Copenhagen and developed at the ministerial level as well as other central Stockholm in January 2009, and to Madrid in March 2009. authorities and institutions. The Plenipotentiary received guests from or paid foreign The following presidency co-ordinator level meetings visits to nearly all Member States of the European Union. were organised: During the period immediately preceding the Polish » February 2008 – Copenhagen (Denmark), Presidency, presentations of the Polish Presidency’s pri- » May 2008 – Warsaw (Poland), orities and listening to partner expectations were fixed » November 2008 – Nicosia (Cyprus), items on the agendas of all meetings. The Plenipotentiary » May 2009 – Warsaw (Poland), held consultation sessions with European affairs ministers » November 2009 – Brussels (Belgium), and other high-ranking administrative officials responsi- » April 2010 – Ayia Napa (Cyprus), ble for European affairs in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, » November 2010 – Brussels (Belgium), Estonia, Romania, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, » March 2011 – Brussels (Belgium), Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, » May 2011 – Nicosia (Cyprus). Lithuania, Slovakia, Portugal, and Finland, among others. Occasionally, multilateral consultations were organised As of July 2008, the Plenipotentiary for the Preparation as well: on 2 February 2010, the Plenipotentiary hosted of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s a meeting of European affairs ministers from the Weimar Presidency of the Council of the European Union engaged Triangle states in Warsaw. in intense dialogue with European Union Member States, Meetings and bilateral visits apart, the Plenipotentiary with co-operation organised on four chief platforms: participated in a series of talks with his counterparts on 1) Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Trio format meetings at the occasion of General Affairs Council and European the level of national co-ordinators for presidency Council sessions. Moreover, he regularly accompanied preparation, the Prime Minister Donald Tusk at prime ministerial- 2) Bilateral consultations to the end of absorbing level meetings in bi- and multilateral format (such the experience of other Member States with regard as the Visegrad co-operation community). Such meetings, to preparations for the Presidency of the Council especially in months immediately preceding the Polish of the European Union, Presidency of the Council of the European Union, focused 3) Bilateral consultations to the end of promoting primarily on Poland’s priorities for its Presidency. Poland’s Presidency priorities, and gaining knowl- Active international efforts taken by the Prime Minister edge of other states’ expectations of the Polish tied in with a number of official visits and meetings with Presidency of the Council of the EU, heads of governments of European Union Member States. 4) Co-operation with Hungary as the Presidency im- Talks held in the first six months of 2011 usually concerned mediately preceding the Polish Presidency. matters relating to preparations for the Presidency; meetings organised under the Polish Presidency of the Council

37 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

of the European Union centred around Poland holding the drafting of rules of inter-institutional co-operation the office. Notably, the following were organised: Polish- (with the European Parliament in particular) for purposes Spanish intergovernmental consultations (10 March of work on the European Union’s new multiannual budget. 2011), as well as visits of the Polish Prime Minister Donald On 1 June 2011, a meeting of European affairs ministers Tusk to Austria (8 April 2011), the United Kingdom was organised in Budapest for two Trios: Spain-Belgium- (18 April 2011), Croatia (6 and 7 May 2011), France (3 June Hungary, and Poland-Denmark-Cyprus, focusing on 2011), the Czech Republic (15 July 2011), and Lithuania the submission of key issue portfolios to the European (4 September 2011). In light of the fact that the Polish agenda. Presidency closed works on the first (English-language) On 1 July 2011 in Warsaw, the Polish Prime Minister version of the Accession Treaty with Croatia on time, on Donald Tusk officially inaugurated the commencement 17 September 2011 Prime Minister Donald Tusk officially of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European presented the draft Treaty to Prime Minister Jadranka Union. The event was attended by the President Kosor at a ceremony in Zagreb. Prime Minister Donald of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, President Tusk held a meeting with the Italian Prime Minister Mario of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, President Monti on the sidelines of the December European Council of the European Commission Josė Manuel Barroso, and session in Brussels. other high-ranking representatives of European Union Polish Presidency-related issues were also debated dur- Member States and institutions. On the same day, in ing visits to Warsaw by European leaders: the prime minis- the course of a special ceremony, Hungarian Prime ters of Hungary (1 December 2010), Finland (19 January and Minister Viktor Orbán symbolically turned the Presidency 19 December 2011), Malta (5-7 April 2011), the Kingdom of the Council of the European Union over to the Prime of the Netherlands (17 May 2011), Bulgaria (19-20 May Minister of Poland Donald Tusk. 2011), Sweden (30 May 2011), Norway (10 June 2011), Estonia (30 June 2011), Croatia 20 (July 2011), Portugal (15 September 2011), and Denmark (27 October 2011), 1.5.2. Co-operation with European Union as well as in the course of Polish-German consultations Institutions on 21 June 2011, and at the Visegrad Group forum (15 February, 16 June and 14 October 2011). 1.5.2.1. Co-operation with the European Commission, the Secretary General of the Council of 1.5.1.2. Co-operation with the Hungarian Presidency the European Union, and the Office of the President of the European Council Intense dialogue and co-operation were established with Hungary, which held the Presidency immediately pre- In the course of preparation for the Presidency it was ceding Poland. The topic of preparing for the Presidency concluded that closer co-operation with the European was mentioned for the first time in February 2008, when Commission, the General Secretariat of the Council Gábor Ivan, Secretary of State for European Union Affairs at of the European Union, and the Office of the President the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited Warsaw. of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy (HvR) In June 2009, the Plenipotentiary headed the Polish would be one of the success factors for the Polish delegation during Presidency preparation consultation Presidency. Thus, as of 2009 a number of meetings and sessions in Budapest. Co-operation continued also after consultations were organised, on the one hand to the end the change of government in Hungary. On 20 September of reviewing the European agenda and consulting on 2010, the Plenipotentiary paid another visit to Budapest, Polish priorities and programme, and – on the other where he met Enikö Györi, Minister of State for European – to establish or strengthen personal contacts with Union Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advisor representatives of Union institutions. The importance to the Prime Minister for European Union Affairs Péter of such co-operation was reflected in recommenda- Gottfried, and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign tions for ministries contained in the ‘Draft List of Priority Affairs Zsolt Németh. Programmes for the Polish Presidency of the Council On 14 January 2011, Hungary initiated a meeting of the European Union in the Second Half of 2011’, submit- of European affairs ministers of Hungary and of the Poland- ted by the Plenipotentiary and approved by the Council Denmark-Cyprus Trio in the sidelines of the informal GAC of Ministers on 21 July 2010. The Council of Ministers at Gödöllő, Hungary. The meeting focused on the meth- recommended every ministry to organise detailed con- odology of works on Multiannual Financial Frameworks sultations with regard to priority and programme pro- for the years 2014-2020. The meeting marked an posals with the European Commission and the General entry into regular dialogue in the area, enabling i.a. Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

38 Permanent dialogue was established with the Office a list of positive initiatives originating from the European of the President of the European Council to discuss Commission’s programme (Annex Two included) and the themes of European Council sessions under the Polish key to the Polish Presidency. The ultimate purpose was Presidency, in order to bring them as close as possible to to ensure the European Commission’s greater commit- the Polish Presidency’s priorities. Detailed Polish propos- ment to the dossiers until the year-end 2010. These in- als were submitted as to the criteria of selecting European cluded the Communication on External Energy Policy, and Council session topics by HvR’s Office (narrow fields, direct the Communication on Electronic Commerce. According connection with the European Union’s action plan (agen- to the European Commission, three crucial areas to be da). Draft Polish priorities were consulted during meet- debated under the Polish Presidency involved intellectual ings. Ultimately, economic growth (one of the priorities property, financial services, and social matters. for the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European The purpose of bringing the European Commission Union) was a topic noted by the European Council ses- closer to Polish proposals and to preparations for sion in October 2011. The visit of members of the Office the Presidency was served by two visits of Secretary of the President of the European Council to Warsaw General of the European Commission Catherine Day to in January 2011 was a major component in developing Warsaw: in May 2010 and April 2011, the latter immedi- contacts with HvR’s Office. Debates were organised in ately preceding the Presidency. four theme sessions centred on priorities suggested for An important moment was that of organising the Council the Polish Presidency: sources of growth in the European of Ministers’ visit to the European Commission on 9 June Union, the single market, energy-related matters, 2010. These consultations involved three major events: the Eastern Partnership, and the Common Security and a joint plenary session of the Council of Ministers and Defence Policy. the College of Commissioners, a working lunch, and In preparation, attention was paid to the growing role minister-commissioner cluster meetings. Additionally, of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European bilateral meetings of the Polish Prime Minister Donald Union in organising European Council sessions. Tusk with the President of the European Commission The GS CUE assumed all competencies formerly assigned Josė Manuel Barroso took place. The minister-commis- to rotation presidencies as concerns general session man- sioner talks centred around Polish preparations for its agement, conclusion drafts, and submission of strategic Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well solutions to the President of the European Council and as the European Union’s current agenda and priorities for his/her Cabinet. Multiannual Financial Frameworks were the upcoming two years. Consultations focused largely on a critical topic of contacts with the GS CUE. In prepara- matters concerning the Polish Presidency’s programme. tion for the Polish Presidency of the Council, the neces- Points of merit aside, consultations served the purpose sity of defining rules of co-operation and negotiations in of developing the image of Poland – the future Presidency the MFF area between the GS CUE and Poland and other – as a state fully committed and determined to make its Trio states was a fact well-known. Consultations were Presidency of the Council of the European Union a suc- organised in appropriate format, resulting in the drafting cess. The visit actually commenced the true and final of a joint methodology of MFF-related work in the Council stage of Presidency-related preparations, and ensured an of the European Union in the years 2014-2020. Another improvement of personal contacts between all ministers effect of intense co-operation with the GS CUE involved and their counterparts in the European Commission. contacts to draft the ‘Six-Month Presidency Programme’, Concurrently, the unvaryingly favourable comments agendas of individual Councils, and the ‘Eighteen-Month offered by European Commission representatives and Trio Programme’.27 Brussels-based media with regard to the importance and The European Commission was consulted on unprecedented nature of the event served to confirm the plans, priorities, programme and message the success of the meeting. The Commission declared of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European its general support for the Polish Presidency’s priorities Union. The European Commission’s 2011 Action Plan as planned highlights in the Commission’s action plan. was a document of particularly extensive consultations, On 8 July 2011, Prime Minister Donald Tusk received as it was a paper of key importance from the viewpoint the President of the European Commission Josė Manuel of Poland programming its Presidency-related works. Barroso in Warsaw; concurrently, a meeting of the Council During preparations for the Presidency, frequent meetings of Ministers with the College of Commissioners took and consultations on the topic were held. To the end of en- place. This traditional Council of Ministers/College suring cohesion of Presidency activities with European of Commissioners encounter served the purpose Commission plans, the Polish party drafted and submitted of discussing matters of key importance to the Presidency. 27 More in sections describing priorities programming, the ‘Six-Month Further meetings of Prime Minister Donald Tusk with Programme’, Trio-based co-operation, and the ‘Eighteen-Month President of the European Commission Josė Manuel Programme’.

39 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

Barroso were held on 30 August, 20 October, and 8 and 9 Moreover, top-ranking Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff December 2011. intervened on behalf of the High Representative during Additionally, Prime Minister Donald Tusk met an EP plenary session, and before the EP’s foreign affairs the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy commission. In the context of standing in for the High on 15 March 2011, 12 September 2011, 29 September Representative, organising (and chairing) the informal 2011 (sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit), development ministers’ meeting in Poland was a major 20 October 2011 (sidelines of the Multiannual Financial event.30 The practice Poland applied in alleviating the EEAS’ Frameworks conference), and 8 and 9 December 2011 load in contact with third parties and in the EP was highly (on occasion of the European Council session). The Polish appreciated by the Service, who consequently applied to Prime Minister also participated in European Council the Danish Presidency to continue the operational model. sessions on 24 and 25 March 2011, 23 and 24 June 2011, The Polish conceptual contribution to the European 23 October 2011, 26 October 2011, and 9 December 2011. Union foreign policy and security areas took on form in the project to set up the European Fund for Democracy; proposals to develop the Common Security and Defence 1.5.2.2. Co-operation with the European Policy; development-centred co-operation; and more External Action Service intense dialogue with the European Union’s strategic partners. Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union The Polish Presidency’s operational efficiency in coincided with the final stages of the Lisbon Treaty imple- the Common Foreign and Security Policy area was con- mentation, and the related process of designing a uniform firmed on the occasion of the informal foreign affairs min- practice with regard to matters focusing in particular on isters’ meeting in the ‘Gymnich’ format. Thanks to close the allocation of competencies between the Presidency co-operation with High Representative Catherine Ashton, and the European External Action Service (EEAS). This a balanced meeting agenda was tabled to reflect EEAS holds true both for the internal dimension of the Union as well as Presidency priorities (the Eastern Partnership- (developing the Service’s organisational structure, de- related debate on day two of the meeting). signing the EEAS’ detailed relations with European institutions and EU Member States) and for external issues (implementation of EEAS priorities internationally).28 1.5.2.3. Co-operation in Third Countries Despite its active attitude in relations with the EEAS, Poland did not overstep the framework outlined by The Presidency’s co-operation with the EEAS in third the Lisbon Treaty provisions. Polish efforts focused countries was a double-track evolution. In countries with on the implementation of the Decision of the Council European Union missions headed by accredited ambas- of the European Union of 26 July 2010 establishing sadors, they were supported by Polish diplomatic mission the organisation and functioning of the EEAS, and in con- staff, with their lead role distinctly limited to areas outlined sequence on the strengthening of EEAS’ image worldwide by the Lisbon Treaty (i.a. co-ordination of consular meet- and among European Union partners. The Presidency was ings). Particular importance was attached to co-operation convinced that the successful development of efficient of European Union missions with Polish representations European diplomacy of high standing will largely depend to international organisations. Not only did Polish experts on the efficiency of EEAS activities. and diplomats support European Union Delegations in In agreement with the EEAS, Poland made extensive matters of merit (the Delegations in question often as not use of the Presidency/EEAS co-operation mechanism in suffering of staff shortages), but they chiefly took an ac- the Common Foreign and Security Policy area. For the first tive part in efforts to strengthen the role of the European time in the history of the Lisbon Treaty and the EEAS, Union on the forum of various organisations. a Minister of Foreign Affairs and his management staff in In the ten countries where the European Union did not an acting Presidency of the Council of the European Union have a representative in the rank of ambassador, Poland became so deeply involved in standing in for the High used its diplomatic missions to represent the Union lo- Representative in contact with third countries, acting cally, and was responsible for all and any diplomatic i.a. as chairpersons of European Union delegations.29

28 According to Lisbon Treaty, provisions, the EEAS was established to in co-operation with third countries and international organisations. the purpose of strengthening the Union’s position internationally in The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland represented contact with external partners, and defining methods of active EU com- the High Representative during visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and mitment as a major player in international politics. was the first high representative of the European Union to fly into 29 The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and other Benghazi to express support for the Temporary National Council. members of the MFA’s top management stood in repeatedly for High 30 The meeting of 14 and 15 July 2011 in Sopot was chaired by Minister Representative Catherine Ashton, i.a. chairing association councils, and Krzysztof Stanowski.

40 activities on behalf of the EEAS, including the co-ordina- relations commenced on request and under the direction tion of EU-27 missions operating in the given country.31 of the Plenipotentiary as early as the start of 2010.33 Both in case of co-operating with European Union delegations and of acting as a local European Union Preparations and coordination of cooperation with EP representative mission, Poland emphasised the importance of European Union diplomacy as an indispen- During preparations for the Presidency, the following sable instrument of European Union global influence. activities were initiated in the area of EP relations: The Presidency’s co-operation with EEAS in third countries 1) Development of the document Recommendations may be described as harmonious, albeit (also for reasons for ministers concerning cooperation with of the as yet unfinished process of forming the EEAS) not the EP during preparations for and the exercise free of matters requiring more detail and precision. of the Presidency, which was later adopted by The organisational efficiency of the Polish Presidency the Committee for European Affairs on 5 March and skilful political matters management during a difficult 2010. It contains information about: period of changes internal and external to the Union have • the structure, operations and competencies of been confirmed numerous times by European institu- the EP; tions and our partners in the Union, including the High • the role of the Prime Minister and members of Representative Catherine Ashton.32 the government, including the Secretary of State for European Affairs, in contacts with the EP in the period preceding the Presidency and during 1 .5 .3 . Cooperation with its term; the European Parliament • recommended activities to be undertaken by ministers before and during the Presidency to boost effectiveness of cooperation with the EP. 1.5.3.1. Cooperation with the European Parliament The document was distributed in all ministries and during preparations for the Polish Presidency central authorities. of the EU Council 2) To assure effective implementation of obligations imposed on ministers by ‘Recommendations for One of the three core functions of the presidency (in ad- ministers’ (…) and increase effectiveness of mini- dition to chairing the Council and its preparatory bodies sterial preparations for cooperation with the EP as well as representation of the EU in external relations) is during the Presidency, a network of liaison officers representation of the Council in relations with other EU infor cooperation with the Plenipotentiary on all stitutions and bodies, including the European Parliament. EP-related issues was established in all ministries Sound cooperation of the Presidency with the EP was one and central authorities . Liaison officers were appo- of the critical factors of its success, as the EP has major im- inted by members of the Committee for European pact on building the image of the Presidency and the tools Affairs, and their objective was to support respec- needed to implement its priorities. That was especially tive ministers and the Plenipotentiary in relations the case after the Treaty of Lisbon went into effect, con- with the EP before and during the Presidency. On solidating the position of the EP within the EU institu- behalf of the Plenipotentiary, efforts of the liaison tional architecture, also by vesting additional legislative, officer team were overseen by a specially designa- budgetary or monitoring competencies in the Parliament. ted staff member of his secretariat. In consideration of the impact of efficient coop- In the period preceding the Polish Presidency eration with the EP on the success of Poland’s EU of the EU Council, eight meetings of liaison officers Council Presidency, preparations focused on EP were convened at the request of the Plenipotentiary (on 29 March 2010, 26 May 2010, 15 September 2010, 29 October 2010, 14 January 2011, 18 March

31 Countries were the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland stood in as Ambassador of the European Union included the following: 33 The need to initiate cooperation of the Polish government with Iran, Qatar, North Korea, Cuba, Kuwait, New Zealand, Turkmenistan, the European Parliament at an early stage of preparations for Uzbekistan, Vatican, and United Arab Emirates. Moreover, Polish the Presidency of the EU Council as well as the scope of such coop- diplomatic missions in Kuwait and Uzbekistan continue acting as local eration were identified in The Programme of Polish Preparations for European Union presidencies also in the first half of 2012. the Assumption and the Exercise of the Presidency of the European Union 32 In a letter of 20 December 2012 to Minister Radosław Sikorski, High Council, the document: Priorities and programming the Polish Presidency Representative Catherine Ashton highlighted the high quality of Polish of the European Union in 2011 and the document Recommendations for Presidency, including the extraordinary commitment of Poland and ministers concerning cooperation with the European Parliament during the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs to actions supporting the High preparations for and the exercise of the Presidency of the EU Council by Representative. the Republic of Poland.

41 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

2011, 5 May 2011, 22 June 2011). Liaison officer of the Republic of Poland to the European Union meetings contributed to: in Brussels. • preparation of ministries and central authorities 4) In line with ‘Recommendations for ministers (…)’ to undertake consecutive measures to initiate ministries and central authorities identified key and expand cooperation with the EP before EP representatives in the terms of sectoral pri- and during the Presidency in accordance with orities of the Presidency (including heads and guidelines laid down in ‘Recommendations for deputy heads of respective committees, coordi- ministers (…)’. Meetings were particularly help- nators of political groups in committees, -rappor ful in gearing ministries up to identify and build teurs and counter- rapporteurs on key issues in relations with key representatives of the EP, pre- terms of the Presidency’s priorities). Ministries paring ministries for visits of EP committees, po- and central authorities submitted lists of identi- litical groups and the Conference of Presidents fied key individuals in the EP to the Plenipotentiary of the EP to Poland as well as preparing minis- up until 15 October 2010, which were further up- tries for participation in EP committees and EP dated and supplemented in the course of prepara- plenary sessions; tions for the Presidency. A related summary record • information-gathering by the Plenipotentiary on was discussed and adopted by the Committee for implementation of consecutive recommenda- European Affairs on 9 November 2010. tions by ministries and central authorities during 5) Meetings of executives from ministries and cen- preparations for the Presidency in the context tral authorities with identified EP representa- of relations with the EP and current legislative tives were held from end-2010 until the start cooperation with the European Parliament; of the Poland’s EU Council Presidency. Their obje- • conveying with the Plenipotentiary’s authorisa- ctive was to initiate informal relations, present ini- tion of information and documents concerning tial priorities and the programme of the Presidency activities of the EP and Trio presidency coun- as well as to identify the principles of cooperation tries relevant in the context of preparations to be pursued during the Presidency’s term in of- for the Presidency (e.g. the EP agenda in 2011, fice. Communication about scheduled and com- SG RUE communication on the status of Council- pleted meetings was discussed and approved by EP relations, communication on speeches the Committee for European Affairs on 5 November of ministers of previous presidencies given at 2010, 9 November 2010, 18 January 2011, EP committees and plenary sessions, the scope 18 February 2011, 1 March 2011, and 12 April 2011. of support provided by EP language services In additional to political meetings, ministries ini- to representatives of the presidency, the scope tiated relations with EP representatives at the- ex of support offered by SG RUE to presidency’s pert level (including committee secretariats staff, ministers in the context of cooperation with political groups advisors, assistants to Polish and the EP, principles of presidency’s cooperation foreign MEPs) directly or through the intermediary with EP committees) of the Permanent Representation of the Republic 3) In addition to regular liaison officer meetings, of Poland to the European Union in Brussels. convened at the Plenipotentiary’s request, two 6) Prior to the Presidency, acting in his capac- training courses for liaison officers for coopera- ity of Secretary of State for European Affairs at tion with the Plenipotentiary on all EP-related is- the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Plenipotentiary sues were held to give participants an insight into held a number of meetings with key EP represent- the scope and principles of the presidency’s coope- atives, both on the political and the official level, ration with the EP: including: • a training seminar conducted by an expert • Jerzy Buzek, President of the European from the Directorate for Inter-institutional Parliament, officials from the General Secretariat Cooperation of the General Secretariat of the EP and leaders of the largest political of the European Union Council on 14 January groups on 17 June 2011 during a visit of the EP 2011 in Warsaw, attended by directors of EU de- Conference of Committee Chairs to Warsaw; partments of ministries and central authorities; • Joseph Daul, President of the European People’s • a training seminar conducted by experts Party in the EP and key MEPs from this group of the General Secretariat of the European (during a meeting with the Polish Prime Minister Parliament on 5 May 2011 at the European on 26 November 2010 in Warsaw and a visit Parliament in Brussels, also attended by heads of the EPL group to Warsaw on 26 May 2011); of divisions of the Permanent Representation

42 • Martin Schulz, the President of Social Democrats of Committee Chairs of 7 June 2011 where and key MEPs from this group (during a meeting he presented priorities and the programme with the Polish MP on 27 September 2010 in of the Polish EU Council Presidency. Warsaw and a visit of the S&D group to Warsaw 7) To ensure effective support for the Plenipotentiary on 25 May 2011); in the area of cooperation with the EP in the con- • Guy Verhofstadt, the President of the Liberals text of the Polish Presidency of the Council, rela- in the EP and key MEPs from this group (during tions on the expert level between the Secretariat a meeting with ALDE representatives on 24 May of the Plenipotentiary and the following EP units 2010 in Brussels and a meeting during ALDE were reinforced: group’s visit to Warsaw on 11 June 2011); • secretariats of key EP committees (AFCO, ENVI, • Rebecca Harms, EP Greens leader and key repre- BUDG, ECON, AGRI, JURI, AFET, SEDE, DROI, sentatives of the group (on 10 February 2011 in DEVE); Brussels and during the visit of the Greens/EFA • the secretariat of the EP Conference group to Warsaw on 16 June 2011); of Committee Chairs and the Conference • Klaus Welle, the Secretary-General of Presidents of the EP; of the European Parliament (on 25 June 2010 in • the office of the EP President and offices of po- Warsaw and on 12 January 2011 in Brussels); litical group leaders; • Secretaries General of key political groups in • the Directorate-General in charge of planning EP the EP (on 12 January 2011 and on 9 February plenary sessions and the Directorate-General for 2011 in Brussels); communication in the EP; • Polish MEPs on 12 January 2011 and 9 February • assistants to chairpersons of Polish sections in 2011 in Brussels; EP political groupings. • Klaus Heiner Lehne, Chairman of the EP’s In addition, cooperation with the Directorate- Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) and President General for Political and Inter-institutional Affairs of the Conference of Committee Chairs (on of the General-Secretariat of the Council which is 12 January 2011 in Brussels); in charge of supporting the Presidency in its rela- • Carlo Cassini, Chairman of the Constitutional tions with the EP was initiated. Contacts with rep- Affairs Committee (AFCO) and key MEPs from resentatives of Belgium, Hungary, Sweden and the committee (on 2 September 2011 in Germany responsible for EP relations at head offic- Brussels, 25 May 2011 in Warsaw and 4 July es and Permanent Representations of those states 2011 in Strasbourg); to the EU in Brussels were also established. • Representatives of other EP committees (includ- 8) Klaus Welle, EP Secretary-General, vis- ing the International Trade Committee of 27 June ited Poland on 25 June 2010 on invitation 2011 in Warsaw and the Committee on Regional of the Plenipotentiary. He took part in a- meet Development of 27 June 2011 in Warsaw); ing of the Committee for European Affairs which • Olga Cosmidou, Director-General for the EP became the venue of an in-depth discussion on Oral and Conference Translation (DG INTE) on the Presidency’s cooperation with the EP. The vis- 14 March 2011. Information about the scope it provided a good opportunity to obtain prac- of support provided by EP language services tical information about the EP’s expectations to representatives of the Presidency during regarding relations with members of the- gov EP meetings as well as EP guidelines regarding ernment of the country holding the presidency. speeches given in the EP forum obtained during Klaus Welle also met Tomasz Arabski, who heads this meeting was later communicated to minis- the Prime Minister’s Chancellery (on the issue ters via liaison officers, discussed and adopted of competencies). by the Committee for European Affairs on 1 April 9) In January 2011, ministries launched intensive 2011; preparations for visits of EP committees, EP po- • Other representatives of the EP, the General- litical groups and the Conference of Presidents Secretariat of the EP and the Office of the of the EP in Poland. In line with the decision President of the European Parliament, Jerzy of the Plenipotentiary, respective ministries and Buzek, coinciding with other EU meetings in central authorities (acting via liaison officers) Brussels. were in charge of coordinating the visits of indi- Acting in his capacity of the Secretary of State vidual EP committees, whereas preparations for for European Affairs, the Plenipotentiary also visits of political groups and the EP Conference took part in the meeting of the Conference of Committee Chairs were assigned to the Ministry

43 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

of Foreign Affairs. The status of preparations for of participation in EU efforts, present issues from visits of EP committees, EP political groups and the EU agenda which are vital for both parties the EP Conference of Committee Chairs was discus- and to identify principles of cooperation during sed and approved by the Committee for European the Polish Presidency. Affairs on 18 March 2011 and 10 May 2011. 13) To perform obligations provided under 10) In consideration of limited accommodation in- ‘Recommendations for ministers (…)’ and to frastructure in Strasbourg and a large num- act on request of the Plenipotentiary, prior to ber of guests during EP plenary sessions, at the Presidency ministries and central authorities the Plenipotentiary’s request, on 8 April 2011, conducted regular monitoring of EP legislative the Committee for European Affairs adopted a do- efforts, which was rolled out by respective de- cument entitled Communication‘ about the urgent partments for European affairs via their contact need for pre-booking hotels for ministers par- network on the political and expert level. This ini- ticipating in plenary sessions of the European tiative contributed to sound preparations forle- Parliament in Strasbourg’, which committed mini- gislative cooperation with the EP during the term stries to authorise the Permanent Representation of the Presidency. of the Republic of Poland to the European Union in 14) Prior to the Presidency, preparations for the EU Brussels to pre-book hotel rooms in Strasbourg to leadership in terms of its relations with the EP ensure accommodation for ministers and accom- were addressed by the Plenipotentiary during bi- panying delegations taking part in EP plenary ses- lateral meetings with members of the government sions in Strasbourg on behalf of the Council. and during meetings coordinating preparations 11) Preparations for speeches of ministers to EP com- for the Polish Presidency, including the Council mittees designed to present the Presidency’s sec- of Ministers. This issue was also tackled in official toral priorities were launched in May 2011. A sum- correspondence between the Plenipotentiary, ex- mary record containing the schedule of ministers’ ecutives of ministries and central authorities. addresses and the division of competencies between particular ministers was discussed and ap- EP committee visits to Poland proved by the Committee for European Affairs on 17 May 2011 and the Support Committee for From April until June 2011 ten out of twenty EP stan- the Polish EU Council Presidency on 8 July 2011. ding committees delegated their representatives to visit In line with a proposal of the Plenipotentiary,a train- Warsaw to get an insight into Presidency’s priorities rela- ing seminar in public speaking to EP committees ted to efforts of the following committees: was held for ministers of the Polish Presidency » The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on 11-14 July 2011 in Brussels. The course was (EMPL) on 18-20 April 2011; facilitated by Burson-Marsteller consulting agen- » The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender cy and covered practical information about Equality (FEMM) on 16-18 May 2011; the activities of committees and speech simula- » The Committee on Internal Market and Consumer tions. Training was attended by the following min- Protection (IMCO) on 16-19 May 2011; isters: the Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister » The Committee on the Environment, Public Health of Health, the Minister of Environment, and and Food Safety (ENVI) on 18-20 May 2011; the Minister of National Education, the President » The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the Office of Competition and Consumer (ECON) on 19-20 May 2011; Protection and the Government Plenipotentiary » The Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) on for Equal Treatment. 24-26 May 2011; 12) To reinforce the cooperation of ministries and cen- » The Committee on Budgets (BUDG) on 27 May 2011; tral authorities with Polish MEPs in the context » The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) on 16-17 June of the Poland’s Council Presidency, at the request 2011; of the Plenipotentiary workshops for assistants to » The Committee on International Trade (INTA) on Polish MEPs were conducted on 26 June 2011 in 27 June 2011; Warsaw. The course covered a general module and » The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy four thematic ones dedicated to foreign affairs; (ITRE) on 27-28 June 2011. the internal market, economic, environmental, and During their visits, committee delegations comprising budgetary affairs and was conducted by experts representatives of the Bureau, coordinators of political from various ministries. Workshops were a good groups, leading MEPs, committee secretariat staff and in- opportunity to get an insight into the mechanisms terpreters met ministers in charge of areas corresponding

44 Table 5. Dates of visits of political groups and the Conference of Presidents of the EP to Poland

No Meeting Date

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group – 16 members of S&D 1. 25 May 2011 delegation, including the group leader, Martin Schulz European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (EPP) – eight members of EPL 2. 26 May 2011 delegation, including the group’s Chairman, Joseph Daul Greens/ European Free Alliance (Greens/ EFA) – nine delegation members, including its 3. 16 June 2011 Co-President, Rebecca Harms Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) - 30 people altogether, including 4. 17 MEPs (ALDE coordinators, mainly from EP standing committees) and the fraction’s 11 July 2011 Chairman, Guy Verhofstadt The Conference of Presidents of the EP – 35 people altogether, including 5. 16-17 June 2011 representatives of the European Commission and SG RUE to the competencies of a given committee as well as rep- All group visits were held in a format which enabled resentatives of respective commissions of the national the Polish party to present and discuss key priorities parliament, representatives of the state administration of the Polish Presidency with MEPs. Delegates attended and civil society organisations. working sessions featuring members of the Council In addition, before the Presidency commenced, Poland of Ministers and executives from various ministries. was visited by delegations of the following committees: Sessions were teamed up with meetings of representa- » The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) which took tives of all political groups with the Prime Minister and part in a project focused on promotion of Polish working lunches staged by the Plenipotentiary and execu- fisheries in Gdańsk on 16-20 May 2011; tives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. » The Committee on Regional Development (REGI) The meeting with Socialists and Democrats (S&D) was on 28 June 2011 which took part in the confer- attended by representatives of the top management ence ‘Regions as the drive train of development in of the following ministries: the Ministry of Economy, Poland’. the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry Visits of political groups and of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry the Conference of Presidents of the EP of Science and Higher Education (plus Undersecretaries of State for European Affairs and liaison officers forco- In the second quarter of 2011, the Plenipotentiary ex- operation with the Government Plenipotentiary on all tended invitations to the largest political fractions in the EP-related issues). European Parliament to conduct working visits of EP re- The programme of the visit of EPL representatives be- presentatives to Poland in relation to the forthcoming gan with the meeting of the Polish Prime Minister with Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Such visits are custo- Joseph Daul, the leader of the group (tête-à-tête meet- marily organised in an EU Member State directly before ing). In addition, the delegation met Polish President, the launch of its presidency. The objective of visits was to Bronisław Komorowski. Representatives of the Ministry present priorities and the agenda of the Polish Presidency of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry to representatives of the Parliament, i.e. the institution of Regional Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and which is the key partner of the Council in the course of le- Rural Development attended the working session. gislative efforts. In addition, organisation of visits strived As regards the Greens group, the meeting centred on to boost the effectiveness of cooperation of the Polish go- four leading themes, i.e.: economic governance, energy, vernment administration with the European Parliament budget, and CAP reform. The agenda of the visit included during the term of the Polish Presidency. a meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a working In response to the invitation of the Plenipotentiary of session with Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak the Polish Government, the four largest political fractions and executives from the following ministries: the Ministry in the EP declared their willingness to pay a visit. of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Regional Development,

45 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and 2) On 4-13 July 2011, 25 Constitutional Ministers and Rural Development. Secretaries/Undersecretaries of State in ministries Talking points addressed during the discussion held by and central authorities tookpart in meetings of 15 members of the Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) delegation out of 20 EP standing committees to present sec- with representatives of the Council of Ministers included: toral priories and the agenda of the Presidency. the internal market, trade, energy, CSDP, the area of free- The Plenipotentiary highlighted priorities and dom, security and justice (JHA), the future of the cohe- the work programme of the Presidency in the forum sion policy and the CAP reform. Issues were presented by of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) representatives of executive authorities of: the Ministry of 4 July 2011. of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry The schedule of speeches given by ministers of Environment, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of the Polish Presidency at EP committees has been of National Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry enclosed as Annex 5 to this report. of Regional Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and 3) On 5 July 2011, during a visit to the EP in Strasbourg, Rural Development. The culmination of the visit culmi- the Plenipotentiary met heads of Information nated was the delegates’ meeting with PM Donald Tusk. Offices of the European Parliament in EU Member Visits of political groups to Poland on the eve of the Polish States to present the priorities and programme Presidency, an open and exhaustive formula of working of the Polish Presidency. Heads of EP Information meetings as well as enormous commitment of the execu- Offices and executives of the EP Directorate- tive management of individual ministries had a positive General for Communication visited Poland on impact on cooperation with the European Parliament 15 July 2011, where they held a meeting with during the Presidency and contributed to positive recep- the Director of the Department for Coordination tion of the programme presented by Polish Prime Minister of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Donald Tusk at EP plenary session of 6 July 2011. 4) The Plenipotentiary and, upon his recommenda- A visit of representatives of the Conference of Presidents tion, ministers and heads of central authorities of the EP (CP) to Warsaw on 16-17 June 2011 marked an- represented the Council at EP plenary sessions in other element of preparations for the Poland’s EU Council Strasbourg and mini-sessions in Brussels. During Presidency in the context of its prospective cooperation the Presidency, the Polish Prime Minister and Polish with the European Parliament. The CP delegation was ministers attended 34 debates of the European chaired by the EP President, Jerzy Buzek and consisted Parliament during 12 sessions and two EP plenary of representatives of the European Commission and mini-sessions. the General-Secretariat of the Council of the European Speeches given by the Polish Prime Minister, Union (35 delegation members altogether). The group Donald Tusk, on 6 July 2011 and 4 December visited Poland at the invitation of Polish Prime Minister 2011 in Strasbourg at the first and the final ple- Donald Tusk. Its programme covered working meetings nary session of the European Parliament during with representatives of the highest state authorities: the Polish Presidency were particularly important the Polish President, Speakers of the Polish Parliament and in the context of the inauguration and summing-up Senate, the Polish Prime Minister, members of the Council of the Polish Presidency’s successful cooperation of Ministers, Polish MPs and senators (heads of parliamen- with the European Parliament. tary clubs and groups and the Commission for European The list of speeches given by the Polish Prime Union and Foreign Affairs). Minister and ministers of the Polish Presidency on behalf of the Council at EP plenary sessions has been enclosed as Annex 6 to this report. 1.5.3.2. Cooperation with the European Parliament 5) Photographic exhibition entitled ‘Hello, Poland!’ during the Polish Presidency of the EU Council was held during EP plenary session in Strasbourg on 12-15 September 2011 in the EP building to 1) On 1 July 2011, when Poland assumed the Presidency present contemporary Poland in the eyes of its in- of the EU Council, the Plenipotentiary submit- habitants. The exhibition featured photos by win- ted a letter to all MEPs in which he communi- ners of an open photographic competition cele- cated the priorities of the Polish Presidency and brating the Polish Presidency as well as works by the intention to pursue harmonious cooperation accomplished Polish photographers. On behalf with the EP. In addition, MEPs received Who’s of the Plenipotentiary, the exhibition was officially wgo – Guide of the Polish Presidency to facilita- opened by the Polish Ambassador to the EU, Jan te contacts with key representatives of the Polish Tombiński. Presidency at the head office and the Permanent 6) At the initiative of the Plenipotentiary, the Polish Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU Presidency devised for MEPs an innovative for- in Brussels. mula of debates between the Presidency and EP

46 representatives, called ‘Meet the Presidency’. deal) were officially signed by the Council and Debates were held on Tuesdays during EP plenary the European Parliament on 16 November 2011. sessions in Strasbourg, and their objective was to On behalf of the Council, all acts were signed into enable MEPs to ask questions concerning current law by the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry issues on the EU agenda to ministers of the Polish of Finance, Wiesław Szczuka. Presidency. These debates were also an opportu- Acting in his capacity of the Secretary of State for nity to reinforce the inter-institutional dialogue on European Affairs, the Plenipotentiary represented key European issues. the Council during meetings of the trilogue and The Presidency witnessed the following debates in the Conciliation Committee dedicated to external the ‘Meet the Presidency’ series: financial instruments on 6 July and 6 September • ‘State of the Union’ featuring the Plenipotentiary, 2011. Minister Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, on 27 September In addition, the Plenipotentiary held a number 2011; of meetings with MEPs during his visits to Brussels • ‘European Endowment for Democracy’ fea- and Strasbourg. turing the Plenipotentiary, Minister Mikołaj 10) During the Polish Presidency, representatives Dowgielewicz, and Krzysztof Stanowski, of the following EP committees conducted visits to Undersecretary of State for development as- Poland: sistance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on • The Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) 25 October 2011; took part in the European Culture Congress in • ‘The Road to Durban’ featuring Undersecretary Wrocław on 8-11 September 2011; of State at the Ministry of Environment, Joanna • The Committee on Regional Development (REGI) Maćkowiak-Pandera, on 15 November 2011; on 17-18 October 2011 was in Warsaw; • ‘Quo Vadis Europa?’ featuring Undersecretary • The Committee on Development (DEVE) of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maciej took part in European Development Days on Szpunar, and MEPs from the Spinelli Group on 15-16 December 2011 in Warsaw; 13 December 2011. • The Subcommittee on Security and Defence Debates in the ‘Meet the Presidency’ series were (SEDE) spent 15-17 December 2011 in Warsaw. highly evaluated by MEPs and became the hall- Moreover, at the invitation of the Polish Presidency, mark of the Polish Presidency. representatives of various EP committees took part 7) Two breakfast briefings for MEPs, journalists in informal meetings of selected sectoral Councils and think-tank representatives, featuring minis- in Poland. ters of the Presidency and tackling major issues 11) At the initiative of the Plenipotentiary, the Polish from the EU agenda were held in the European Presidency included the EP in discussions on Parliament at the Plenipotentiary’s initiative: the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework. • ‘The reform of Schengen: meeting new challeng- Therefore, MEPs designated by the EP attend- es’ featuring the Minister of Internal Affairs and ed an informal meeting of the General Affairs Administration, Jerzy Miller, on 12 October 2011; Council on 28-29 July 2011 in Sopot which wit- • ‘European energy policy’ featuring Undersecretary nessed the first discussion about MFF. In addi- of State in the Ministry of Economy, Marcin Korolec, tion, the Polish Presidency held regular briefings on 10 November 2011. and debriefings for MEPs which accompanied ses- 8) On 25 October 2011, acting in his capac- sions of the General Affairs Council dedicated to ity of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, MFF on 18 July; 12 September; 15 November and the Plenipotentiary took part in a meeting 5 December 2011. The EP was also invited to take of the Conference of Presidents of the EP to pre- part in the Conference on Multiannual Financial sent the achievements of the Polish Presidency Framework on 20 October 2011 in Brussels. of the EU Council halfway through its term and 12) While the Polish Presidency was in office, plans for the final second stretch of the Presidency. the group of liaison officers for cooperation with 9) In the course of visits to the EP in Strasbourg dur- the Plenipotentiary on all EP-related issues con- ing its plenary sessions, the Plenipotentiary act- tinued its operations. At the Plenipotentiary’s re- ing as the Secretary of State for European Affairs quest, three consecutive meetings of liaison offi- signed EU legal acts adopted by the Council and cers were held on 8 September; 18 October and the EP on behalf of the Council. Acts were rati- 22 November 2011. Liaison officer meetings con- fied on behalf of the EP by the EP President, Jerzy vened during the Presidency contributed to iden- Buzek. Four out of six legal acts reinforcing eco- tification of substantive and logistic issues- regar nomic governance in the EU (known as the six-pack ding participation of the Presidency’s ministers

47 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

in EP plenary sessions and meetings of EP com- The key issue addressed by the Group were correlation mittees, participation in debates in the ‘Meet tables – documents describing how EU laws are imple- the Presidency’ series and MEP breakfast briefings; mented in Member States. The Polish Presidency arrived release of current communication about the status at a successful compromise of the Council, the EC and of inter-institutional relations between the Council the EP which was officially confirmed on 20 October 2011 and the EP as well as review of current cooperation by the Conference of Presidents of the EP. The compro- between the Presidency and the EP. mise contributed to ‘unblocking’ of legislative efforts, 13) From 23 November 2011 until 24 January 2012, boosted the transparency of the decision-making process 14 Constitutional Ministers and Secretaries/ and improved the effectiveness of monitoring the ap- Undersecretaries of State in ministries and central plication of Community law without imposing excessive authorities took part in meetings of 10 out of 20 administrative burdens on Member States. EP standing committees to sum up the accom- The Polish Presidency witnessed official confirma- plishments of the Polish Presidency in various tion of the agreement with the EP concerning the EP’s areas. A record containing the schedule of spe- participation in international conferences. In his letter eches given by ministers as well as the division to Minister Radosław Sikorski of 24 October 2011, EP of competencies between various ministries were President, Jerzy Buzek, communicated that the EP had discussed and approved by the Committee for approved the Council’s proposal of June 2011 concerning Support of the Polish EU Council Presidency on 28 the formula of MEP participation in international confer- November and 6 December 2011. ences. In addition, the Presidency finalised the substantive The schedule of speeches given by ministers portion of the project focused on the inter-institutional of the Polish Presidency to EP committees has been agreement between the Council and the EP concerning enclosed as Annex 5 to this report. the forwarding and handling by the European Parliament In line with the proposal of the Plenipotentiary, of classified information held by the Council on matters a training seminar for the Minister of Transport, other than those in the area of the Common Foreign and Construction, and Maritime Economy was held in Security Policy (CFSP). Warsaw on 20 January 2012 to make sound preparations for his speech to the EP TRAN Committee. The Minister had no previous experience in prepa- 1 .5 .4 . Cooperation of the Polish Presidency rations for the Presidency in the context of coop- with EU advisory institutions eration with the EP. The training was conducted by Burson-Marsteller consulting company and (European Economic and Social covered practical information about activities Committee and the Committee of of the committee and simulation of the speech. the Regions) 14) At the end of the term of the Polish Presidency, acting in his capacity of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, the Plenipotentiary extended ac- Following positive experiences of countries which had knowledgment to all MEPs in recognition of their held the EU Council Presidency in the past as well as in cooperation and commitment during the Polish the light of broader competencies of EU advisory insti- Presidency of the EU Council. Produced in a postcard tutions (the European Economic and Social Committee format, the acknowledgement contained a list of is- and the Committee of the Regions) introduced by sues discussed by both institutions in the EP forum. the Treaty of Lisbon, the Polish Presidency initiated cooperation with both Committees. Guidelines for coop- Council’s cooperation with the EP: eration were submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs support for inter-institutional groups at the Meeting of the Committee for European Affairs of 13 May 2010. That was followed by a series of meet- In July 2011, on behalf of the Council, Poland assumed ings of the Government Plenipotentiary with Committee the accountability for follow up on the political dialogue members, including the EESC President, Staffan Nilson with the EP to improve relations and solve three horizon- (23 June 2010), President of the CoR, Mercedes Bresso tal inter-institutional topics on the Council-EP-EC forum. (13 September 2010), the head of the Polish delegation The above efforts were conducted by the Lehne Group34, to CoR, Marek Woźniak (14 July 2010 ), and EESC Vice- and the Council was represented by the Undersecretary President, Jacek Krawczyk (5 January 2011). of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, M. Szpunar. Speeches of government representatives in the EESC and CoR forum delivered to highlight topics deemed to 34 Named after the President of the EP Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) be priorities in social, economic, and regional areas: K.H. Lehne, who chaired the EP delegation.

48 » at the 131st session of the CoR Bureau of 19 June of proposals was finalised which was later adopted by 2011, the Minister of Regional Development, the Committee for European Affairs during its meeting Elżbieta Bieńkowska, presented the priorities and held on 19 November 2010. On 30 November 2010, programme of the Polish Presidency, with special the Government Plenipotentiary submitted a mo- emphasis on the cohesion policy as an investment tion requesting exploratory opinions to the EESC and tool of the EU budget and a vehicle for implemen- CoR Presidents. tation of Europe 2020 strategy objectives; The Polish Presidency requested the EESC to draw up » at the EESC plenary session of 13 July 2011, Deputy opinions on the following topic: ‘The future of the labour Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak discussed market in Europe – the quest for an effective response to the economic priorities of the Polish Presidency, demographic trends’; ‘The impact of the crisis on the ca- including development of the internal market, pability of European enterprises to undertake pro-climate establishment of free trade zones with Eastern investments’; ‘Eastern Partnership and the eastern dimen- Partnership countries and boosting Europe’s secu- sion of EU policies, with particular emphasis on the EU’s rity by reinforcement of its external energy policy; agricultural policy, food security, undisturbed trade, » presentation of achievements of the Polish greater cooperation and development aid, and strategic Presidency and a debate with EESC members partnership’; ‘Sustainable development of EU transport at the 476th EESC plenary session held on 7-8 policy and planning for TEN-T’. Topics of exploratory December 2011, featuring Grażyna Bernatowicz, opinions for the CoR: ‘Local and regional contributions Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign to implementation of Europe 2020 strategy objectives’ Affairs; and ‘the complementarity of national and Community » Christmas Eve dinner celebrating the end intervention measures aimed at levelling differences in of the Polish Presidency, hosted by Polish regions economic and social development’. at the seat of the CoR (14 December 2011). At the initiative of the Polish Presidency, exploratory opinions were submitted by the Bureaux of Committees Exploratory opinions to working committees and subsequently adopted at EESC plenary sessions on 15-16 June 2011, 13-14 July Advisory committees offer advice to the European 2011, 26-27 October 2011 and a CoR plenary session on Commission, the European Parliament and the European 10-12 October 2011. EESC rapporteurs of the opinion Council on new legislative and programming initiatives, were invited to take part in debates and thematic panels whereas consecutive presidencies apply for expert analy- during a conference on post-crisis sources of growth held ses in areas deemed to be their priority areas. in Warsaw on 15 November 2011. In relation to the specific work profile of both Committees (it takes approx. 6 months to devise a high- quality explanatory opinion), preparations for the -of ficial request for exploratory opinions were launched by the Polish Presidency on 5 July 2010. Consequently, a list

Table 6. CoR and EESC away sessions, conferences and promotion events

Date Location Type of event Meeting of the Committee of Regions’ Bureau teamed up with a session of the 8-9 September Poznań Conference of Local and Regional Authorities for Eastern Partnership attended 2011 by Commissioner Štefan Füle ‘Europe of active citizens: volunteers’ conference featuring President Bronisław Warsaw, 30 September Komorowski, the Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Jolanta Fedak, Commis- Presidential 2011 sioner László Andora, the EESC President Staffan Nilsson, representatives of civil Palace society from the EU and Eastern Partnership states.

49 Report 1.5. International Co-operation

Date Location Type of event The 9th edition of Open Days – the European Week of Regions and Cities. Especially for this occasion, teamed up with all Polish regions, the Ministry of Re- gional Development hosted an event entitled ‘Polish Town’ in Parc du Cinquen- 10-13 October tanaire in Brussels, which showcased projects implemented in voivodeships in Brussels 2011 Poland with European Funds. Presentation vehicles included demonstrations, experiments, exhibitions, animations, etc. designed by beneficiaries of the cohesion policy as well as institutions responsible for implementation of European Funds. ‘Urban dimension of cohesion policy’ conference held by regional offices in 11 October 2011 Brussels Brussels. Away session of COTER Committee of the Regions’ Commission and the Euro- 19-20 October Warsaw, pean Congress of Rural Municipalities: ‘Cohesion policy for rural areas beyond 2011 Congress Hall 2013’ hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Mercedes Bresso. ‘TEN-T for smart and sustainable regional development’ conference organised 7 November 2011 Brussels by regional offices in Brussels. ‘Local and regional dimension of Eastern Partnership’ conference staged 9 November 2011 Brussels by regional offices in Brussels. Warsaw, EESC Bureau away session and ‘Sources of economic growth after the crisis’ con- 15 November Chancellery ference featuring representatives of employer and employee organisations and 2011 of the Prime non-government organisations. Minister The 5th EESC seminar on media freedom and the quality of journalism in the EU 24-25 November and neighbouring states organised by the EESC Press Office as an official event Cracow 2011 accompanying the Polish Presidency under the auspices of the Representation of the European Commission in Poland. 30 November ‘EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Regions – Future, Innovation & Transfer Brussels 2011 of Knowledge conference held by regional offices in Brussels.

2 .

Organisation of the preparations and the course of the Presidency

2.1. Budget

he process of estimating the costs of the Polish of costs related to the organisation and providing services TPresidency was conducted in 2008 and 2009. Following for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council] was generated the basic guidelines agreed as part of the interdepartmen- at the Office of the Committee for European Integration in tal consultative and advisory team for the budget, the con- March 2009. On 2 March 2009, the document was approved struction of the multiannual programme (of the budget by the European Committee of the Council of Ministers. for the Presidency) consisted of two parts: the central It introduced standardisation of the procedure of estimat- one, coordinated by the Government Plenipotentiary for ing costs related to the Polish Presidency in ministries and the Presidency, and the ministerial one, which consisted central institutions. The guidelines were based on calcula- of the ministries and central administration institutions’ tion methods approved by certain ministries (so-called own tasks as well as special tasks. good practices), market analysis, and own guidelines. With Estimation of the costs of financial tasks within the cen- respect to the principles included in the document, min- tral budget was based on independently collected informa- istries and central institutions present the Plenipotentiary tion (market analysis, experience of other presidencies, with calculations of the volumes of funds required own guidelines). to finance the preparations and course of the Polish The calculation of the central budget was based on spe- Presidency. Following the analytical work and verification cific guidelines that determined its volume and structure, by the Office of the Committee for European Integration i.e. all the meetings at ministerial or higher (meetings and the Ministry of Finance concerning the Presidency of Heads of State or Government) levels were organised budget (April 2009), additional premises and guidelines to by the services of the Plenipotentiary. The total cost the ‘Guidelines for ministries and central institutions con- of organisation of meetings at ministerial and higher level cerning the estimation of costs related to the organisation accounted among others for the costs of provision of con- and providing services for the Polish Presidency of the EU ference centres, accommodation, catering, and transport Council’ were presented to the members of the European of meeting participants, VIP services at airports, and also Committee of the Council of Ministers together with a draft costs of translation/interpretation. multiannual programme at the session on 9 June 2009. Questions including security of the meetings, construc- Following the implementation of the process of esti- tion of a system for circulation of classified information, mation of costs related to the Polish Presidency, adraft provision of IT and telecommunications infrastructure, multiannual programme entitled ‘Przygotowanie, obsługa the cultural programme, reinforcement of the Permanent i sprawowanie przewodnictwa Polski w Radzie Unii Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EUin Europejskiej w II połowie 2011 r.’ [Preparation, provi- Brussels as well as other diplomatic missions, and the mo- sion of services, and course of the Polish Presidency tivational and loyalty systems were listed as special tasks, of the EU Council in the second half of 2011] was prepared. which were coordinated respectively by the responsible The objective of the programme was to guarantee financ- institutions in collaboration with the Plenipotentiary. ing for the activities related to the preparation and course The financial assets for carrying out these tasks were listed of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2010–2012 by in the sectoral part of the programme. 24 ministries and central institutions.1 An estimation of the costs ofspecial tasks was performed The draft multiannual programme was presented by at the Office of the Committee for European Integration the Plenipotentiary to the members of the European on the grounds of independently gathered information Committee of the Council of Ministers, Committee (market analysis, experience of other presidencies, own of the Council of Ministers and the Council of Ministers. guidelines) and also on the grounds of the data provided It was officially approved by the Council of Ministers by some participating institutions, which were later veri- on 23 June 2009 by Act No. 113/2009. In the light fied in real time while the current guidelines and concepts of the above-mentioned act, the total value of the outlay of organisation of the Polish Presidency were taking shape. for the implementation of the programme was defined The amounts earmarked for the financing of the so-called at an approximate level of PLN 430 million. The sources own tasks conducted by ministries and central institutions of financing the programme, besides the budgetary funds, in relation to the preparations and course of the Presidency 1 The main institutions involved in the programme include: were defined on the grounds of the information provided Internal Security Agency, Central Statistical Office, Chancellery by the respective sectors. To ensure uniform methodol- of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Administration and Digitalisation, ogy of cost calculation by all the ministries and central Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Science and institutions involved in the preparation and course Higher Education, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Labour of the Presidency, a document entitled ‘Wytyczne dla and Social Policy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, ministerstw i urzędów centralnych w sprawie szacowania Ministry of Regional Development, Ministry of State Treasury, Ministry kosztów związanych z organizacją i obsługą polskiego prze- of Sport and Tourism, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Transport, wodnictwa w Radzie UE w II poł. 2011 r.’ [Guidelines for min- Construction and Maritime Economy, Ministry of Health, Office istries and central institutions concerning the estimation of Competition and Consumer Protection, Patent Office of the Republic of Poland, and Public Procurement Office.

55 Report 2.1. Budget

included funds from Counterpart Funds, from the Local 3) construction of a system for circulating classified Grant Fund under Phare PL9903.01 ‘Initiative II’, from information – a task coordinated by the Internal the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and also Security Agency from the European Social Fund. 4) ICT infrastructure – a task coordinated by Following the guidelines approved at the stage of estima- the Ministry of Administration and Digitalisation3 tion of costs in the structure of the multiannual programme, 5) Permanent Representation of the Republic the following parts were singled out: of Poland to the EU in Brussels and other diplomatic missions – a task coordinated by a. the central part of the programme: covering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the funds designated for the implementation of the 6) loyalty and motivation system – a task coordi- following tasks: nated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1) providing services for the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of To ensure streamlined completion of tasks related to Government Administration Bodies and the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, the multiannual for the Republic of Poland’s Presidency of programme was amended as needed. The amendments in the Council of the European Union the multiannual programme included transferring finances 2) preparation of people participating in the imple- from the areas that generated savings to the underesti- mentation of tasks related to the Polish Presidency mated areas. of the Council of the EU To implement the principles of using the financial 3) organisation and provision of services at the meet- assets of the multiannual programme and its han- ings taking place during the Polish Presidency dling – both in the central and the sectoral parts – in of the EU Council the office of the Plenipotentiary, a bylaw for the multian- 4) promotional and information activities concern- nual programme was developed. It defined, among others, ing the Presidency. the procedure of using the funds covered by the specific provisions and a joint system of reporting. The services b. the sectoral part of the programme covering the of the Plenipotentiary conducted real-time monitoring funds designated for the implementation of the fol- concerning the spending of funds from the multiannual lowing tasks: programme. − own tasks According to the clauses of the bylaw document, min- 1) organisation and providing services for expert istries and central institutions that were the beneficiaries meetings in the second half of 2011 of the programme made quarterly reports on the imple- 2) preparation of human resources mentation of the multiannual programme and presented 3) translations and other office costs related to them to the Plenipotentiary. On the grounds of the indi- the Presidency vidual reports provided, the Plenipotentiary generated ag- 4) other current expenditure gregated reports on the implementation of the programme 5) provision of services for foreign meetings in individual quarters, which were presented for the ac- 6) purchase of IT hardware and software for ceptance of the members of the Committee of the Council the needs of meetings related to the Presidency of Ministers. Moreover, the Plenipotentiary also drafted 7) other events/accompanying events in Poland aggregated reports from the implementation of the pro- 8) provision of services for foreign meetings by dip- gramme, broken down by task, which were presented to lomatic missions the Minister of Finance. 9) provision of services for meetings with the - par The multiannual programme was implemented to ticipation of the Prime Minister of the Republic the draft budgetary acts in the individual years of the 2010– of Poland 2012 period, in line with the regulations binding in public 10) staff reinforcements of Permanent Representation finances. of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels and and Administration, and Ministry of Infrastructure – ‘Journal of Laws other diplomatic missions. of the Republic of Poland’ of 2011, No. 250, item 1500 and the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 21 November 2011 concerning the estab- − special tasks lishment of the Ministry of Interior – ‘Journal of Laws of the Republic 1) cultural programme – a task coordinated by of Poland’ of 2011, No. 250, item 1502). the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage 3 Until 18 November 2011, the coordinator of the special task entitled Tele- IT Infrastructure was the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration 2) ensuring safety of meetings – a task coordinated (Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 21 November 2011 concerning 2 by the Ministry of Interior the abolition of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, and Ministry of Infrastructure – ‘Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland’ of 2011, 2 Until 18 November 2011, the coordinator of the special task enti- No. 250, item 1500 and the Resolution of the Council of Ministers tled Ensuring the Security of Meetings was the Minister of Internal of 21 November 2011 concerning the establishment of the Ministry Affairs and Administration (Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Administration and Digitalisation – ‘Journal of Laws of the Republic of 21 November 2011 concerning the abolition of the Ministry of Interior of Poland’ of 2011, No. 250, item 1501).

56 2.2. Business partners of the Presidency

o limit the financial burden on the state budget re- » PKN Orlen SA presented 150 prepaid fuel cards Tlated to the preparation and provision of services for of the TANKBANK type to a total value of PLN the Presidency, following the experiences of the previous 1,000,000. The cards allowed free-of-charge fuel- presidencies, a procedure was designed for transparent ling of the cars of the Presidency fleet while pro- selection and collaboration with business partners who viding services for the most important meetings in became involved free of charge in the organisation and Poland. promotion of the Presidency. Activities aimed at acquisi- » Microsoft sp. z o.o. Poland provided 400 licences tion of partners were conducted in line with ‘Regulamin for the Windows 7 Ultimate operating system z dn. 27.07.2010 r. w sprawie procedury wyboru part- and 400 licences for MS Office Professional 2010. nerów nieodpłatnie wspierających organizację i promocję The delivered software was installed on hardware Prezydencji Polski w Radzie UE w drugiej połowie 2011 r.’ available for foreign delegations at Presidency [Regulations of 27 July 2010 concerning the procedure for venues. selecting partners supporting free of charge the organi- » Contact Center sp. z o.o. (member of TP SA Group) sation and promotion of the Polish Presidency of the EU leased over 100 mobile telephones with active Council in the second half of 2011], which was published SIM cards on Orange, 40 notebook + modem + on the Presidency preparation website, much like the in- active SIM card sets allowing the team organis- formation concerning the course of the procedure. From ing Presidency meetings use mobile Internet on the beginning, the Commissioner for Anti-Corruption the Orange network. Additionally, the company Procedures at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs partici- provided foreign delegates with access to Orange pated in the work of the team responsible for selecting hotspots at five Polish airports in Gdańsk, Wrocław, Presidency partners. Cracow, Poznań, and Warsaw. Interest in the partnership was announced by 14 businesses who proposed free-of-charge provision of ser- All the partners signed unilateral agreements, which vices, mostly in the areas of transport, catering, and ICT. were published on the Presidency preparation web- Analysing the bids submitted by businesses, the following site. The estimated cost of the services received free aspects were especially taken into account: of charge from partners, and therefore savings, exceeds PLN 10 million. » the comprehensive quality of the free services proposed; » experience of the firm in providing the services proposed at meetings of a similar rank to Presidency meetings; » using innovative technological solutions that influence environmental impact in the scope of the proposed services; » running the business in line with the concept of corporate social responsibility and ethical principles.

As a result, six contracts were signed with businesses that were partners of the Presidency:

» Peugeot Polska sp. z o.o. leased 117 passenger cars as the Presidency fleet to cater for the most important meetings organised in Poland. » Scania Polska SA leased 6 Scania Touring HD coaches for transporting VIP delegations during selected Presidency meetings. » Coca-Cola Poland Services sp. z o.o. delivered over 100,000 litres of Kropla Beskidu water and other drinks to the most important meetings of the Presidency in Poland, and attractive containers for packaging waste segregation at conference venues. Additionally, the company provided over 40,000 litres of Kropla Beskidu water to the meetings in Brussels, together with delivery.

57 Report

2.3. Management of human resources

2 .3 .1 . Presidency Corps the people with the greatest training needs in the scope of envisaged tasks and skills. One of the greatest challenges in the building and stablishment of the Presidency Corps was envisaged operation of the Presidency Corps was maintaining its Ein the ‘Programme of preparations’. The Corps con- stability. The motivating tools implemented by both sisted of the staff of ministries and central institutions and the Plenipotentiary and the individual institutions did not also units supervised by them who are experts in their eliminate the churn of human resources entirely. Partially, respective fields. During the Presidency, they were meant it was, however, related to the natural churn of human to perform the function of presidents of working groups, resources in ministries and central institutions. The very their deputies, national delegates, and content coordina- process of preparation for the Presidency was a long- tors. Moreover, included in the Corps were the people term process of exceeding dynamics, while changes in who in their institutions coordinated the organisational the Corps also resulted from the modification of the con- tasks concerning the Polish Presidency of the EU Council cept of organisation of preparations in the sectors. (organisation coordinators). Additionally, in some sectors decisions were made to The guidelines containing profiles and initial com- establish, besides the central Corps, the so-called B Corps, petencies that people with individual functions in consisting of the people who were sent to training ses- the Presidency Corps should play were designed in 2008.4 sions organised by their own means. This staff provided Moreover, the ministries were obliged to put forward the fall-back corps. lists of people (with names) who would be involved in the preparation and course of the Presidency. However, as the lists submitted greatly exceeded the expected vol- 2.3.1.1. Motivation and loyalty system ume of the Corps, a decision was made to assign (training) limits in the Corps.5 The motivation and loyalty system for the government The sectors made submissions and updates of the Corps administration staff involved in the preparation and in line with the assigned limit of expert and organisational course of the Presidency was envisaged in the ‘Program positions. The initial competencies of a Corps member Przygotowań Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej do Objęcia and his or her expert knowledge were verified at the level i Sprawowania Przewodnictwa w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ of the submitting institution. The submissions allowed [Programme of preparation of the Republic of Poland to the establishment of a database of approximately 1200 take up and carry out the Presidency of the EU Council] people who formed the Presidency Corps. They were approved by the Council of Ministers on 13 January 2009. trained as part of the central training. It was assumed Implementation of the system was meant on the one that the people who would hold functions during hand to broaden the knowledge and skills of these offic- the Presidency should be the first to undergo the training, ers, and on the other to provide the administration with and ergo also be admitted to the Corps. a guarantee of being retained at least until the comple- Nevertheless, some sectors built a far more numerous tion of the tasks related to the Presidency of the EU Presidency Corps, which encompassed all the people Council. Development of a single motivation and loyalty involved in the preparation and course of the Presidency system for the entire governmental administration was in the given institution. The central training covered necessary for a number of reasons, of which the most important was the involvement of the best prepared and motivated people, and at the same time retaining a rela- 4 The guidelines were Annex No. 3 to the ‘Raport w sprawie stanu tively permanent core of such staff, which was required przygotowań administracji publicznej do objęcia Prezydencji w RUE w for the cohesion of the actions conducted, optimisation II połowie 2011 r’. [Report on the status of the preparation of the public of the outlay, and high quality of work. administration for taking up the Presidency in the EU Council in the second half of 2011], which was approved by the European Committee The introduced system of motivations was composed of the Council of Ministers at a session on 15 July 2008. of two parts: training (described in detail below) and 5 The division of limits was approved in the document entitled ‘Informacja financial. w sprawie określenia dla instytucji uczestniczących w przygotow- The financial part encompassed the payment of an aniach do Przewodnictwa w Radzie UE limitów zgłoszeń do Korpusu additional element of remuneration in 2011 and 2012. Prezydencji, objętego systemem szkoleń centralnych’ [Information con- The criteria and principles for division of funds among cerning the definition of limits of submissions to the Presidency Corps covered by the system of central training for institutions participating institutions involved in the preparation for the Presidency in the preparations for the Presidency in the EU Council] approved by and conducting the multiannual programme were de- the European Committee of the Council of Ministers on 12 May 2009. fined and approved by the Committee for European ‘Informacja w sprawie podziału szkoleniowych miejsc rezerwowych dla Korpusu Prezydencji’ [Information concerning the division of spare training capacity for Presidency Corps] approved by the Committee for European Affairs on 15 June 2010.

59 Report 2.3. Management of human resources

Affairs.6 The people entitled to receive additional financial 2.3.2.1. Central training for the Presidency Corps: means were the members of the Presidency Corps who participated in training organised in the central system » Specialist training in general knowledge of holding specific functions (president, deputy president, the legal system, institutional set-up, and deci- national delegate, expert coordinator, organisational sion-making process in the European Union coordinator), and other people involved in the preparation, provision of services, and course of the Presidency The concept of the project was to provide knowledge (acting as experts and advisors, and playing organisational concerning horizontal aspects in the legal system, institu- and service roles) named by their immediate superiors, tional set-up, and decision-making process in the European should the contribution of work of such people be espe- Union to the future chairs of EU Council working groups, cially significant in the context of preparation, course, and and to the national delegates and coordinators involved provision of services for the Presidency. The payments in the EU decision-making process, already equipped with of the additional financial means for the people entitled specialist knowledge in the area of operation of the given followed the internal regulations of institutions. sector. The goal of the training was to provide theoretical grounds and unification of trainees’ knowledge in the areas mentioned above, before they embarked 2.3.2. Training on the training in practical skills (so-called soft training), providing the subsequent element of the central training programme. Training was a non-financial element of the motiva- The provider of the training was Poland’s National tion and loyalty system. In line with the guidelines School of Public Administration (KSAP). Participating in of the ‘Program Przygotowań Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej the training project in the capacity of lecturers were both do Objęcia i Sprawowania Przewodnictwa w Radzie Unii academic experts and members of the faculty represent- Europejskiej’ [Programme of preparation of the Republic ing Polish university centres and Polish and foreign repre- of Poland to take up and carry out the Presidency sentatives of state in the EU administration. of the EU Council], approved by the Council of Ministers Implementation of the training course began in October on 13 January 2009, the following were organised as part 2009 and lasted till the end of December 2010. Altogether of training for the Presidency: organised at the time were 40 training sessions in 20 train- » central training sessions for the Presidency Corps ing groups (altogether 100 training days within the pro- (training providing knowledge about the European ject). Every participant of the course received five days Union, soft skills courses, and language training in of training in two thematic modules: English and French); • Module 1: training in the EU legal system (two-day » training for other target groups (training for session). the Permanent Representation of the Republic • Module 2: training in EU institutions and decision- of Poland to the EU in Brussels, consultations in -making process (three-day session). decision-making processes in the EU, and individual Moreover, every participant of the course received, specialist English language workshops for ministers, besides the set of training materials and individual pres- secretaries, and undersecretaries of state; seminars entations prepared by the lecturers, a set of nine book and workshops in knowledge about the European publications (also published on a CD) designed especially Union and the decision-making process for the peo- for the project, and including a bilingual collection of or- ple involved in carrying out the Presidency; training ganisation documents of EU institutions, the consolidated for liaison officers); version of the Treaty of Lisbon with an introduction, and » internships and study visits. a proprietary publication concerning the Presidency. Altogether, the number of training participants was 1033, of whom 975 received completion certificates (the condition being participation in at least three full days of classes out of the five days offered to every participant as part of the course). The certificate of participation in training sessions was awarded to more than 90% of all the participants compared to the number of places offered to the institutions. 6 Zasady podziału środków finansowych na dodatkowe wynagrodzenie członków Korpusu Prezydencji oraz innych osób zaangażowanych w przy- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided current monitor- gotowania i sprawowanie prezydencji Polski w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ ing of training implementation. Based on the aggregated [Principles for dividing additional financial funds for additional remuner- results of the questionnaires provided by the participants, ation of the members of the Presidency Corps and other people involved the average grade of the training amounted to 7 points on in the preparation and course of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union] (KSE – 10 May 2011). a scale ranging from 1 to 10.

60 » Specialist training in the practical aspects of parti- as expressed in the questionnaires. The average total cipation of Polish governmental administration in mark for training was 4.51 points on a scale from 1 to 5. the EU decision-making process » Language training for the Presidency Corps Specialist training in the practical aspects of participation of Polish governmental administration in the deci- Language training sessions for the Presidency Corps sion-making process of the EU (so-called soft training) covered specialist group training in English and French. was conducted from June 2010 to January 2011 by a con- The training in English was compulsory, with exemptions sortium of three foreign training institutions of renown for people capable of providing valid proof of knowledge (the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, the College of Europe of the foreign language at the required target level and in Bruges, and the Clingendael Institute in The Hague). people who achieved the target level during the training. The institutions were involved in training the staff for French training was of an optional character: solely for the Presidency in Slovenia, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech interested persons. Republic, Austria, etc. Language training was conducted for three semes- Co-financed from the funds of the European Social Fund, ters (October 2009 – January 2010, February – June the project was conducted as part of the Human Capital 2010, and September – December 2010). The operator Operational Programme. It was a proprietary project of the English training was Berlitz Poland, and the French of the 2nd Level Intermediate Body (IB2) – the Chancellery training was conducted by the Institut Français in of The Prime Minister – conducted in partnership with Warsaw. The training sessions were co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry was respon- the International Organisation of La Francophonie, as part sible for the expert part of the project, including recruit- of the contract ‘Memorandum w sprawie wprowadzenia ment of training participants. The Chancellery, as leader programu nauczania języka francuskiego w administracji of the project, was responsible among other things for polskiej’ [Memorandum on the introduction of a French the financing and clearing of the project, procurement language curriculum for the Polish administration], con- procedures, payments for contractors, and project cluded on 27 November 2008. The parties to the memo- reporting. randum were the Republic of Poland, the International Conducted in English, the training aimed to improve Organisation of La Francophonie (Organisation interna- the skills of the Presidency Corps (so-called soft skills), tionale de la Francophonie, OIF), the French Republic, including negotiation techniques, chairing sessions the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the French of EU Council working groups, managing the flow of in- Community of Belgium. formation, conflict resolution, and drafting and editing The subject of the training sessions pertained to ques- documents. tions related to the European Union, the Presidency • Module 1: Practical aspects of participation and of the EU Council, diplomacy, international relations, and chairing EU working groups (36 training sessions; also legal and administrative terminology. two-day sessions) Monitoring of the implementation of the language • Module 2: Negotiation techniques in European training agenda was conducted through semester reports environment and interpersonal skills (35 training on attendance and progress of the training participants. sessions; three-day sessions) A report on attendance at language classes was also pre- • Module 3: Managing the EU Presidency in Poland pared every month. (15 training sessions; two-day sessions). Evaluation of training was conducted after each se- The target group of the project comprised of up to 1200 mester, on the grounds of the opinions of participants members of the Presidency Corps divided into the follow- expressed in evaluation questionnaires. The training in ing training profiles: chairs and deputy chairs of working English was assessed rather positively by its participants, groups, national delegate/expert coordinator (expert with the average total mark for the training amounting to group, up to 850 people), and organisation coordina- 3.78 points on a scale from 1 to 6. The training in French tors. At the conclusion of the project, its participants re- was assessed very positively. Based on the aggregated received certificates and CD-ROMs with complete training sult from the questionnaires provided by the participants, materials. the average total mark for the training in three semesters Monitoring of the implementation of the soft-skills amounted to 5.06 points on a scale from 1 to 6. What training timetable was conducted through quarterly re- deserved special attention was the high educational ports and a final report. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs level of the training, its careful adjustment to the needs monitored participation in training sessions. The informa- of the participants, and meeting the requirements tion was later passed on to the ministries and institutions. of the highly specialist subject range. Training sessions were evaluated after each session, with Summary data concerning the training for the Presidency the evaluation being based on the opinion of participants, Corps are presented in Table 7.

61 Report 2.3. Management of human resources

Table 7. Central training for the Presidency Corps

Training for the Presidency Corps Specialist training in general knowledge of the legal system, institutional set-up, and decision-making 1 . process in the European Union Poland’s National School Provider of Public Administration (KSAP) Number of participants 1033 people Period of implementation October 2009 – December 2010 40 training sessions (in 2 modules – 20 training sessions each); Number of hours or training sessions altogether 28.5 hours of training per participant (5 days) Number of certificates issued 975 certificates Training evaluation (by participants) 7 points (on a scale from 1 to 10) Specialist training in the practical aspects of participation of Polish governmental administration in the EU 2 . decision-making process Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, College of Europe in Provider Bruges, Clingendael Institute in The Hague Target group: 1200 members of the Presidency Corps; Module 1 – 772 people, Number of participants Module 2 – 729 people, Module 3 – 270 people. Period of implementation June 2010 – January 2011 Module 1 – 36 training sessions (2 days), Number of hours or training sessions Module 2 – 35 training sessions (3 days), Module 3 – 15 training sessions (2 days). 1656 training completion certificates issued: 733 certificates for Module 1, Number of certificates issued 658 certificates for Module 2, and 265 certificates for Module 3. Average overall mark for the training – 4.51 points Training evaluation (by participants) (on a scale from 1 to 5) Specialist English training for public administration employees for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council 3 . in the second half of 2011 Provider Berlitz Poland Number of participants On average over 700 people per semester Three semesters (October 2009 – January 2010, Period of implementation February – June 2010, September – December 2010) Number of hours or training sessions 180 hours, i.e. 60 classes per semester per group 1240 training completion certificates and 296 training participation certificates (in the case Number of certificates issued of insufficient attendance, failure of the semester exam, and/or failure to take the exam). Average overall mark for the training – 3.78 points Training evaluation (by participants) (on a scale from 1 to 6)

62 Training for the Presidency Corps Specialist French training for public administration employees for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council 4 . in the second half of 2011 Provider Institut Français in Warsaw On average over 200 people per semester Number of participants (in 24 training groups) Three semesters (October 2009 – January 2010, Period of implementation February – June 2010, September – December 2010) Number of hours or training sessions 180 hours, i.e. 60 classes per semester per group 363 training completion certificates and 112 training participation certificates (in the case of insufficient Number of certificates issued attendance, failure of the semester exam, and/or failure to take the exam). Average overall mark for the training – 5.06 points Training evaluation (by participants) (on a scale from 1 to 6)

2.3.2.2. Training for other target groups sessions concerning working with documents for people holding secretarial and assistant posts. » Training for the Permanent Representation of In 2011, the Directorate General for Interpretation the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels (DG SCIC) conducted a series of training workshops for chairs and deputy chairs of working groups. These al- The staff of the Permanent Representation lowed participants to improve their skills and better their of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels who were competencies in public speaking. To streamline collabora- members of the Presidency Corps were covered by a pro- tion between the delegates and translators/interpreters, gramme of training in soft skills (the practical aspects DG SCIC established a special contact address to send of participation of Polish governmental administration in materials for interpreters for working group sessions. the EU decision-making process) in 2010. Besides the above, a number of working and study visits Also organised was a one-day training seminar concern- took place in 2010. Organised for the individual sectors, ing the legal aspects of the operation of the Presidency they aimed at becoming familiar with the operation and (delivered by the Academy of European Law), while organisation of work in the EU Council for the preparation the Centre For Political and Diplomatic Studies trained for chairing the EU Council. the staff of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels in matters related to media » Consultation meetings in the decision-making contacts and covering areas including presentation skills process in the European Union for ministers, and public speaking. Thanks to the collaboration with secretaries, and undersecretaries of state the Diplomatic Protocol, a two-day training session in diplomatic protocol was also conducted. A series of consultation meetings in the EU decision- Moreover, the staff of the Permanent Representation making process for ministries, secretaries, and under- of the Republic of Poland to the EU were provided with secretaries of state took place from April to July 2011, specialist language training in Brussels. Specialist train- and involved the participation of experts from EU ing in the French language, delivered by the Alliance institutions and the Burson-Marsteller Brussels agency. Française in Brussels, covered areas including EU termi- It included horizontal meetings addressed to the mem- nology; the honing of communication skills in chairing bers of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for workgroups, meetings, and sessions with elements European Affairs (two meetings each) and also theme- of negotiation; communication with the media; and draft- based meetings organised at the request of the interested ing and interpreting documents in French. The training sectors (four meetings). workshop in the English language concerning specialist The theme of the series was the role and tasks of the ro- vocabulary, creation of documents, chairing of sessions tating Presidency and collaboration with EU institutions and meetings, and public addresses was conducted by as part of the decision-making process in the European the English Academy, a language school specialising in Union. Special emphasis was placed on the role of con- language education of human resources in administra- stitutional ministers and secretaries and undersecretaries tion. Also organised were six-week-long English training of state for European affairs, representing the individual

63 Report 2.3. Management of human resources

sections of public administration of the state presiding Subject meetings over the Council of the European Union. Speakers included experts from the General Secretariat Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordi- of the Council of the European Union, the European nated and participated in subject meetings – for- con Commission, and the European Parliament (includ- stitutional ministers, secretaries, and undersecretaries ing Polish representatives of these institutions hold- of state implementing European policies in the main ing managerial positions). The list of the speakers was subject areas. The meetings were organised on the re- drawn up in arrangement with the General Secretariat quest of the interested sectors: the Ministry of Justice, of the Council of the European Union and also with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Labour and the experts of the European Parliament and the European Social Policy, and the Ministry of Economy (altogether Commission. Responsible for the implementation four meetings). of the consultations was the Department of the EU Presidency Coordination in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. » Individual specialist English language workshops for the highest-ranking state officials Horizontal meetings The workshops were conducted from March to July As part of the series, two horizontal meetings for 2011 by the company The Tower, addressed to the high- the members of the Council of Ministers and two meet- est-ranking state officials: constitutional ministers, secre- ings for the members of the Committee for European taries, and undersecretaries of state, and heads of central Affairs were organised. The members of the latter were institutions of key importance for the implementation also invited to one of the meetings for the members of European policies. The workshops were attended by of the Council of Ministers. The meetings were organised 19 participants. on the fringes of the sessions of the Council of Ministers (in collaboration with the Council of Ministers Department in » Seminars and workshops on the EU for people the Chancellery of the Prime Minister) as well as the ses- involved in carrying out the Presidency sions of the Committee for European Affairs. The subject range of the meetings included collaboration between In 2008–2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collabo- EU institutions and the rotating Presidency, the role ration with foreign training institutions of renown organ- of the General Affairs Council after the Treaty of Lisbon, ised a series of seminars and workshops on knowledge the role of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and decision-making processes for of the European Union in its capacity as a partner the public officers involved in the preparation and course of the Presidency, the decision-making process in the EU of the Presidency (also from beyond the Presidency (including the procedure of co-decision, collaboration Corps). The subject range of the seminars and workshops within COREPER I, and collaboration with the European is presented in the table below. partner), and the know-how of the Presidency.

Table 8. Subject range of the seminars and workshops organised

Seminar and workshop themes Organised in collaboration with Presiding over working groups during the Presidency of the EU European Institute of Public Administration EIPA Council Antena in Warsaw Ecole Nationale d’Administration CEES-ENA as Presiding over working groups of the EU Council in the context of part of the project by the Organisation inter- the Presidency: tasks of working group chairs and their deputies, nationale de la Francophonie (International and simulations of negotiations in EU institutions Organisation of La Francophonie) Coordination of the Presidency of the EU Council Irish Institute of Public Administration IPA The Irish experience in the preparation and carrying out Irish Institute of Public Administration IPA the Presidency of the EU Council General Secretariat of the Council of the Practical aspects of applying regular legislative procedure in the European Union, European Commission, and EU decision-making process European Parliament The role and tasks of the Presidency after the Treaty of Lisbon Ecole Nationale d’Administration CEES-ENA The procedure of co-deciding and negotiation mechanisms during Ecole Nationale d’Administration CEES-ENA the decision-making process in EU institutions

64 2.3.2.3. Internships and study visits 2.3.3.1. Delegation of staff from EU institutions to the Polish administration for the period of Preparation for the Presidency provided the opportu- the Polish Presidency nity to participate in internships as part of programmes conducted by EU institutions: During the Polish Presidency of the Council » the programme of structural internships in of the European Union, there was an option to use the European Commission the support of officers delegated from EU institutions. » the programme of internships in the General Much like other countries holding the Presidency earlier, Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. Poland decided to take this opportunity. With the collection and preservationof the most crucial Towards the end of 2010, the European Commission information gained during internships and study visits decided to delegate 10 officers to the Polish administra- in mind, a list was drawn up of good practices named in tion for the duration of the Presidency, while the General reports by the participants.The list was made available on Secretariat of the Council of the European Union del- the extranet of the Presidency, to which all the members egated one officer. They carried out tasks in the Ministry of the Presidency Corps had access. of Finance, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, Conducted in 2009 was a central programme of financ- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and at the Permanent ing of the internships and study visits from the specific Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU in provisions of the state budget for 2009. It was coordinated Brussels. by the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. As part of the programme, al- 2.3.3.2. Reinforcement of the Permanent Representation together 50 internships projects were conducted for of the Republic of Poland to the EU and of 21 public administration institutions. other diplomatic missions The financing of the costs incurred by covering the internships and study visits in 2010 and 2011 was included ‘Program Przygotowań Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej do in the multiannual programme in the sectoral part. Objęcia i Sprawowania Przewodnictwa w Radzie Unii The individual sectors drafted their own plans for special- Europejskiej’ [Programme of preparation of the Republic ist training, study visits, and internships preparing their of Poland for taking up and carrying out the Presidency staff for carrying out the Presidency. On these grounds, of the EU Council] assumed the reinforcement of the staff appropriate financial assets were reserved as part of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland of the multiannual programme. to the EU and of some diplomatic missions. It was to cover the period directly preceding the Presidency and the Presidency itself, and pertain on the one hand to 2.3.3. Human resources reinforcements of expert and on the other to secretarial and assistant administration and foreign missions posts. The additional human resources made it possible to prepare the institutions duly for the Presidency, and to ensure the necessary level of managing tasks during The new character of tasks and the major burden on the Presidency. the personnel of administration entailed by the prepara- In the case of bilateral missions, especially those tion and course of the Presidency proved the need for that participated in the implementation of the Eastern temporary reinforcements in the human resources of na- Partnership were reinforced, as well as those where tional administration and diplomatic missions. Thejus- the need to reinforce the representation was significant tification for such a reinforcement also stemmed from from the point of view of the EU agenda. Moreover, rein- the experience of the states that held their presidencies forcement was required in the states in which Poland held earlier. To achieve this, a reinforcement of national ad- a local presidency, and also wherever there was the need ministration was envisaged by delegating the staff of EU to provide expert support to the mission in the matters institutions, and also a reinforcement of foreign missions related to providing services for participation in interna- by delegating additional experts from the country. tional organisations. The diplomatic missions covered by the reinforcement through expert support are listed in the table below.

65 Report 2.3. Management of human resources

Table 9. The list of missions with staff reinforcements

Number Venue of delegation of people delegated Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pyongyang 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tehran 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Astana 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Baku 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Yerevan 2 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Pretoria 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Rome 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Skopje 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tashkent 1 Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tirana 1 Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Palestinian National Authority (Ramallah) 1 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office in Geneva 13 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations Office and OSCE in Vienna 9 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the OECD in Paris 1 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the UN in New York 6 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg 1 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels 83 Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the UNESCO in Paris 2 Total 129

The work on designing a detailed model, mode, and also a system of pre-mission training, prepared and carried size of the reinforcement of the Permanent Representation out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The staff leaving for of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels and dip- the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to lomatic missions for the duration of the Presidency was the EU in Brussels were loaned free of charge ICT hardware, embarked on in 2010.7 Especially valuable was the deploy- compatible with that of the Permanent Representation ment of future chairs of working groups serviced from of the Republic of Poland to the EU, for the period of del- Brussels, people supporting the chairs of the groups, and egation, to provide efficient communication and ensure also the coordinators of certain subject areas. The number the completion of the tasks entrusted to them. of people delegated by the ministries to the Permanent The people reinforcing the human resources in Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EUin the scope of assistant and secretarial tasks during the mis- Brussels and other diplomatic missions as well as the pe- sions in 2011 were employed on the power of commission riod of their delegation and the functions they filled while contracts concluded for a period of one year (or shorter). delegated and the scope of the tasks concluded have been Delegation of these people to the missions made it pos- determined. sible to provide appropriate support of expert staff in- The names submitted by the sectors provided the grounds volved, among others, in providing services for the organs for the development of a list of delegates who reinforced preparing the EU Council. the diplomatic missions. The delegates were covered by As part of this task, altogether 83 people were del- 7 The documents ‘Stałe Przedstawicielstwo RP przy UE w Brukseli i inne egated to the Permanent Representation of the Republic placówki dyplomatyczne. Wzmocnienie kadrowe na czas Prezydencji. of Poland to the EU, while 48 people conducted tasks Część 1-4’ [Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to of an assistant and secretarial nature. The remaining the EU in Brussels and other diplomatic missions. Staff reinforcement for diplomatic missions were additionally reinforced with the duration of the Presidency. Parts 1–4], approved by the Committee for European Affairs on 19 March 2010, 2 June 2010, 6 July 2010, and 21 46 delegated people and 17 people carrying out assistant December 2010 respectively. and secretarial tasks.

66 2.4. Organisation of meetings

2.4.1. Meetings in Poland the criteria of transport infrastructure quality, accommodation facilities, technical furnishing, and security. The result of the work of the commission was a docu- he Presidency of the Council of the European Union ment entitled ‘Obiekty rekomendowane jako miejsca Tfeatured 452 national meetings included in -its of spotkań krajowych podczas polskiej Prezydencji w Radzie ficial calendar, among them 50 that took place in the con- Unii Europejskiej w 2011 r.’ [Venues recommended ference centres of the Polish Presidency. That number as national meeting places during the Polish Presidency should be augmented by the 273 events covered by of the European Union Council in 2011]. It was approved the patronage of the Polish Presidency, and also the pro- by the Council of Ministers on 29 June 2009, and projects conducted as part of the official cultural programme vided the grounds to embark on talks with the operators (see also Chapter 2.5.9. Cultural programme). of the selected conferencing venues. The negotiations were concluded by signing contracts concerning the hir- ing of: 2.4.1.1. Planning logistics » the Conference Centre of the Sheraton Sopot Hotel in Sopot The organisational preparations related to the servic- » Centennial Hall, together with the Regional Centre ing of the meetings to be held in Poland, and the work of Business Tourism in Wrocław on the calendar for these began more than 30 months » Auditorium Maximum of the Jagiellonian University before Poland assumed the Presidency of the EU Council. in Cracow In November 2008, the Plenipotentiary invited repre- » selected pavilions of the Poznań International Fair sentatives of regional authorities to nominate confer- in Poznań ence venues where the most important meetings with » the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw. the participation of representatives of all European Union Moreover, the document entitled ‘Venues recommend- Member States were to take place during the Polish ed…’ also defined the concept of organising the main Presidency. The interdepartmental commission, es- national meetings in various regions of the country. tablished as part of the consultative and advisory team The concept was based on renting the conference venues for logistics and security, composed of representatives mentioned above in successive months and transferring of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (including the conference centre of the Polish Presidency between Government Information Centre), Ministry of Interior and them. This resulted from, on the one hand, a desire to Administration (including the Government Protection increase the attractiveness of the Polish Presidency in Bureau, the Police, the Polish State Fire Service), the eyes of the EU partners, and on the other, the inten- the Diplomatic Protocol, and also the Office tion to take this opportunity to promote Polish regions of the Committee for European Integration, selected as fully as possible. The timetable of the use of individual from the proposals submitted the venues that best met conference venues is presented in the table below.

Table 10. Timetable of using conference venues

Dates Conference centre 1-31 July 2011 Conference Centre of the Sheraton Hotel, Sopot 1-7 September 2011 Conference Centre of the Sheraton Hotel, Sopot 8-30 September 2011 Centennial Hall, Wrocław 1-31 October 2011 Auditorium Maximum, Cracow 1-30 November 2011 Poznań International Fair, Poznań 1-31 December 2011 Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw

The remaining venues and cities listed in the document of orders for conferencing services, all meetings of min- entitled ‘Venues recommended…’ were to provide fall- isterial rank as well as selected major conferences, re- back centres that could be used in the case of conference quiring special logistical effort, were to be organised in centres not being set up in one of the main locations the nominated conference centres. Following the idea to listed above, or in another extraordinary situation. use the rented premises at the optimal level, the organisa- Due to the need to economise on the costs of organi- tion of other Presidency events was also allowed in these sation of meetings and also the planned centralisation venues, including lower-level meetings, on the condition

67 Report 2.4. Organisati on of meeti ngs

that the ti metable for using the given premises would of the Council of the European Union in 2011 divided allow that. Graph 1 presents the number of meeti ngs these meeti ngs from the point of view of the required organised in the conference centres listed above.8 security level. Approved as a result was the division into the following four categories: Graph 1. Meeti ngs in central conference venues » Category I – meeti ngs with the parti cipati on of Heads of State or Government, » Category II – meeti ngs with the parti cipati on of ministers of interior aff airs, foreign aff airs, nati onal defence or their counterparts, Wrocław » Category III – meeti ngs with the parti cipati on of other ministers, Cracow » Category IV – meeti ngs with no parti cipati on of Warsaw ministers (expert level). Sopot Poznań 2.4.1.2. Statistics of meetings in Poland

Singled out from the 452 meeti ngs organised in Poland were nine events (including four meeti ngs of Category At the same ti me, central insti tuti ons and other inter- I security level and fi ve meeti ngs of Category II security ested bodies were given the opportunity to make inde- level, of which one was protected by the Military Police) pendent selecti ons of venues for the needs of the meet- over which the Government Protecti on Bureau extended ings they organised. protecti on. Of the number of meeti ngs protected by The detailed ‘Lista spotkań krajowych i zagranicznych the police forces, 41 meeti ngs were classifi ed as Category planowanych do organizacji podczas polskiej prezydencji III security level, and 402 meeti ngs as Category IV. w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ [List of nati onal and interna- The largest number of meeti ngs – 250 – took place in ti onal meeti ngs planned to be organised during the Polish Warsaw, followed by Cracow (72), Tricity (45), Poznań (21), Presidency of the Council of the EU] was approved by and Wrocław (17). the Committ ee for European Aff airs on 28th June 2011. September and October proved to be the busiest At the ti me, the list included 447 meeti ngs planned in months, as 134 and 127 meeti ngs respecti vely were held Poland. That number also contained the informal sessions in the two months. The number of offi cial Presidency of the EU Council and meeti ngs of ministers, conferences, events in the remaining months amounted to 90 in and expert meeti ngs (including workshops, seminars, and November, 68 in July, 31 in December, and 2 in August. visits of att achés) as well as accompanying events, but also – as agreed with the Chancellery of the Sejm – meetings within the framework of the parliamentary dimen- 2.4.1.3. Meetings under the patronage of sion of the Presidency. Following the updates performed the Presidency aft er the submissions from the individual ministries and central insti tuti ons, 452 meeti ngs were eventually con- Meeti ngs under the patronage of the Polish Presidency ducted in Poland.9 were also held in the second half of 2011. The patronage As part of the work conducted in 2010 to defi ne of the Polish Presidency was extended over the projects the guidelines for security of the meeti ngs planned for whose implementati on was related to the prioriti es the course of the Polish Presidency, the Team for Safety of the Polish Presidency and helped its promoti on in and Security of the Polish Preparati ons and Presidency Poland and abroad. These events involved the operati on of local communiti es for the sake of the Polish Presidency, 8 The complete list of meeti ngs organised in the central conference ven- and not only enriched its cultural programme and arti sti c ues of the Presidency is Annex No. 1 to this document. setti ng, but also presented the opportuniti es to co-decide 9 To allow changes to be made in the offi cial Presidency calendar during about the directi ons and shape of the process of European the executi on of the Presidency, an updati ng procedure was developed integrati on by Poland and the Polish people. A signifi cant and approved by the Committ ee for European Aff airs at a session on 1 April 2011, in a document enti tled ‘Zasady dokonywania zmian w factor taken into considerati on during investi gati on kalendarzu polskiej Prezydencji w Radzie UE w 2011 r.’ [Principles for of the projects was the contributi on to the achievement introducing changes to the calendar of the Polish Presidency in the EU of the goals of the Polish Presidency and the presentati on Council in 2011]. Most submissions concerned changing or fi ne-tuning of opportuniti es and opti ons for citi zens resulti ng from various meeti ng parameters, such as date and ti me, name, and event descripti on. There were single cases of submitti ng the need for cancel- European integrati on. ling or additi on of extra meeti ngs.

68 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received altogether » translation and interpretation services, espe- 465 applications for patronage of the Polish Presidency, cially simultaneous interpretation, together with of which number 286 (including 13 concerning events the necessary equipment overseas) were assessed positively. More information » organisation of official dinners and catering at can be found in point 2.5.7 – Patronages of the Polish the conference venue Presidency 2011. » organisation of a cultural and artistic programme for meeting participants, and optional programme for accompanying persons 2.4.2. Logistics of meetings in Poland » conference materials, presents, publications, and elements of visual identification.

In line with the ‘Zasady organizacji spotkań planowanych podczas polskiego przewodnictwa w Radzie UE w 2011 r.’ 2 .4 .2 .1 . Participant accreditation and access to [Rules for organising meetings planned during the Polish conference venues Presidency of EU Council in 2011] document, all the meetings held in Poland and entered into the Presidency The system for accreditation of participants and access agenda were divided into three groups, distinguished to conference venues, besides central meetings, was also by the manner of organisation, namely: central meet- provided at the majority of the remaining meetings held at ings; meetings for whose needs Presidency conference the conference venues of the Presidency and at 20 expert venues were made available; and expert meetings. meetings. Accredited to the meetings of the Presidency The central meetings, which included all the informal ses- held in its main conference venues were 23,783 partici- sions of the Council of the European Union and meetings pants and 2,150 representatives of the media. Altogether of the ministers, were supported logistically by the office over 17,000 IDs with names were produced (includ- providing services to the Plenipotentiary. The meetings ing approximately 1400 for media representatives), for whose needs Presidency conference venues were as well as a few hundred passes for cars. The printing made available were as a rule supported by the institu- of IDs for the meetings protected by the Government tion that applied for their organisation, with support from Protection Bureau was performed by the Bureau, in ac- the Plenipotentiary. The expert meetings were as a rule cordance with the lists provided by the office working for organised independently by the institutions that submit- the Plenipotentiary. ted them. They could, however, use the systems of participant accreditation and hotel reservations provided by the office providing services for the Plenipotentiary. 2.4.2.2. Booking of hotel rooms10 At selected meetings (mostly central), presents and information and promotional materials were provided, The booking system of the Polish Presidency was used while at all remaining meetings, information and promo- from July to December 2011 by nearly 5000 meeting tional materials and literature with visual identification participants. The hotel booking system covered 96 out of the Polish Presidency were distributed. Information of the 452 events taking place in Poland. about the planned events was published on the official As a rule, the Polish Presidency covered the cost of ho- website www.pl2011.eu. tel accommodation for the head of delegation (option- Catering for the meetings of the highest rank, the office ally, together with an accompanying person) and for one offering services to the Plenipotentiary provided: member of the delegation (the so-called 1+1 format). » an online system for participant accreditation » an access system to conference venues, including the printing of IDs 2 .4 .2 .3 . Liaison Officers » booking of hotel rooms » care from liaison officers The head of every official delegation arriving at a cen- » VIP assistance at airports trally organised top-level meeting had a liaison officer » means of transport and transfers of participants assigned. The officer welcomed the head of delegation » decoration of conference venues and provision at the VIP lounge at the airport (and also escorted them with furniture and IT and technical equipment » preparation and current conference services for 10 Booking is construed as making an individual reservation using meetings the eu.odkryjpolske.pl or eu.discover-poland.pl system provided by Polish Travel Quo Vadis by the guest, or a booking made by the Ministry » permanent assistance in matters of protocol from of Foreign Affairs (in cases when the guest’s accommodation was the Diplomatic Protocol covered by the Presidency) completed, i.e. not cancelled by the guest of the Ministry before the beginning of the Presidency meeting.

69 Report 2.4. Organisation of meetings

there for departure), assured seamless organisation an official partner of the Polish Presidency. The tokens of transport for the delegation, and accompanied the head activating the service were available from the Polish EU of delegation during all the items on the official agenda, at Presidency Information Point. the same time remaining in direct contact with the people Altogether, there were 4075 visits to the VIP lounge, responsible for individual organisational aspects. including approximately 2100 in Gdańsk, approximately To cater for the needs described above, 80 liaison of- 110 in Wrocław, 314 in Cracow, 387 in Poznań, and 174 ficers, fluent in Polish and English and also in the official in Warsaw. The largest group of people handled during languages of the countries represented by the individual a single meeting in a VIP lounge was approximately 400 delegations participating in the meetings during the Polish during the informal JHA Council in Sopot. Presidency, were recruited. In May and June 2011 training for operation coordinators and liaison officers providing services for foreign delegations during the Polish Presidency was conducted. Participating in them were 80 liaison officers and organisation coordinators. The objective of the training was to present the liaison officers with practical guidelines concerning their tasks and their role during the Polish Presidency, accounting for matters related to ensuring security at the meetings and of the delegates themselves, providing transport services for the delegation, questions of protocol, media services, promotion of the Presidency, and meetings in the green standard (greening). Speakers at the training sessions were representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and Administration, the uniformed services (BOR [Government Protection Bureau], KGP [Polish Police Headquarters], KGSG [Polish Border guard], ABW Source: EasyLog Sp. z o.o. [The Internal Security Agency]), and also a former liaison Polish EU Presidency Information Point at Lech Wałęsa Airport officer who had provided services for the Polish delega- in Gdańsk tions during the Spanish and Portuguese Presidencies. Liaison officers were involved in the organisation of 31 meetings. 2 .4 .2 .5 . Transport

Members of official delegations were provided with 2.4.2.4. Airports and VIP lounges transport in the format approved for the given meeting (maximum 1+5) on the route airport – hotel – confer- The official delegations arriving at the most important ence venue – dinner venue – airport. As a rule, the del- meetings of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council were egation had at its disposal one limousine (for the chair given the opportunity to use a VIP lounge at entry and of the delegation) and one minibus (for the remaining departure from Poland. The Polish Presidency covered members of the delegation). In the case of joint trans- the cost of service and use of the lounge by the chair and fers, e.g. to the official dinner, the participants were the accompanying members of the delegation in a form transported by coaches and divided into participant appropriate for the given meeting. categories (heads of delegations, delegates, liaison offic- Delegates not covered by the VIP procedure went ers, etc.). During some meetings, especially ministerial through the usual route of customs and passport con- conferences, shuttle buses were also used as transport. trol. They had at their disposal the Polish EU Presidency The heads of delegations covered by protection from Information Point situated in a generally accessible part the Government Protection Office moved in protective of the airport, where volunteers provided them with as- vehicles of the Bureau. sistance and organisational support. The car fleet used for the needs of meetings organised In addition, the delegates were able to use Wi-Fi access in Poland as part of the Polish Presidency of the Council to the Internet. Access to the hotspots at Gdańsk, Wrocław, of the European Union was loaned free of charge to Cracow, Poznań, and Warsaw airports was provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Peugeot Polska sp. z o.o. Contact Center sp. z o.o., a member of the TP Group and and Scania Polska SA – official partners of the Polish

70 Presidency. The fleet consisted of 52 Peugeot 508 of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency of the EU Active sedans, 52 Expert Tepees (8-seat passenger cars), Council and the ministry hosting the meeting) 5 Peugeot 4007s with 4x4 drive, 5 Peugeot Partner Tepee » rooms for technical staff, including drivers, secu- Trendies, and 3 Peugeot iOn cars equipped solely with rity; storage and technical space, etc. electric motors, and 6 Scania Touring HD tourist coaches. » space for coffee breaks, lunches, and dinners for In turn, PKN Orlen SA provided free of charge 150 prepaid individual categories of participants, including fuel cards that allowed cost-free fuelling of the vehicles backrooms for catering providers of the Presidency fleet, with the company acquiring » room for the press and journalists the status of an official partner of the Polish Presidency. » sanitary premises Moreover, for the needs of the car fleet of the Presidency, » medical centre the Ministry of National Defence provided parking spaces » cloakrooms. in certain cities where Presidency conference venues All the venues were provided with conference equip- were situated. Altogether, the vehicles of the Presidency ment ensuring an appropriate standard of lighting and fleet covered 798,985 km (of which 754,707 km were cov- sound amplification and the possibility of delivering ered by passenger cars and 44,278 km by coaches) and multimedia presentations. Monitors on which the images consumed a total of 100,622.44 litres of fuel. of the speakers were displayed were set up in the plenary sessions halls. Each of the venues had IT and telecommunications infrastructure provided for the needs of organis- 2.4.2.6. Arrangement, decoration, and furnishing of ers, delegates, and journalists. They had at their disposal conference venues worksites furnished with portable computers with office software and Internet access, and the opportunity to In each of the five central conference venues used use office equipment (landline telephone, printer, fax, during the Polish Presidency, arrangement, decoration photocopier, shredder). Microsoft sp. z o.o. Poland and internal furnishing necessary to cater for the needs provided free of charge 400 licences for the Windows 7 of the meetings held were provided (accounting for operating system Ultimate version and 400 licences for the character of the meeting, number of participants, and the MS Office Professional 2010 software package, and functions of the individual spaces). Especially, the provi- acquired the title of a partner of the Polish Presidency. sion of the following functions was accounted for: Contact Center sp. z o.o. – another partner of the Polish » accreditation centre Presidency – leased free of charge more than 100 mobile » entrances: as far as possible separate ones for telephones with active SIM cards on the Orange network, the heads of delegations, delegates, public (in and 40 sets composed of portable computer, modem, and the case of major conferences with separate pro- an active SIM card that allowed use of mobile Internet grammes for visitors) access on Orange. » meeting and relaxation zones Also assured during the preparations and meetings » information point and helpdesk were the appropriate decoration of the venue, permanent » hall for plenary sessions conference services (including technical), and the pres- » other conference halls and halls for subject panels ence of hostesses. Moreover, the staff of the Diplomatic (as needed) Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided super- » press conference room and/or specially arranged vision of the protocol-related aspects of the sessions and places for the needs of interviews (conference the official dinners. press corners) The venues were furnished with systems for simulta- » rooms for bilateral meetings neous interpretation, together with personal receivers, » Presidency Room (room for the Polish Minister and microphones, and interpreters’ booths with equipment his staff) conforming to international standards for interpretation » a specially arranged, separate location for equipment and the standards required by the Directorate the so-called ‘family photo’ General for Interpretation (DG SCIC) in the European » audio rooms for the delegates (optional) Commission. » offices for national delegations » offices for representatives of EU institutions (depending on needs) » offices for interpreters » rooms for liaison officers » office of the Presidency Secretariat (room for the organisers – representatives of the Department

71 Report 2.4. Organisati on of meeti ngs

Source: EasyLog Sp. z o.o. Source: EasyLog Sp. z o.o. Furnishing of rooms to be used by the Polish Presidency for meeti ngs

2.4.2.7. Conference services at the meetings • furnishing and arrangement of venue premises, especially furnishing with conference furniture, fl ags, The provision of conference services at the meeti ngs fl oral decorati ons, technical conference faciliti es, was entrusted to a consorti um of external contractors. including interpreters’ booths, rostrums, journalist The project team structure below was developed for stands, tents and pavilions for the needs of the me- the needs of project complementati on. dia and accreditati on Altogether, the team of people involved in the prepara- • placement of promoti onal materials on the prem- ti on of the meeti ngs on behalf of the contractor consisted ises of the venues, and also signposti ng of rooms of 124 people. and access routes to the marked rooms The contractor coordinated and implemented the fol- • temporary structures in the rooms, especially pro- lowing components of the task: vision and assembly of parti ti ons, providing boxes • coordinati on of the enti re project in matt ers re- for radio and TV transmissions, exhibiti ons; provi- lated to the adaptati on of the venue and providing sion and installati on of tents to provide additi onal conference services in each venue space besides some conference venues • providing technical services for the conference, in- • assembly, disassembly, technical servicing, storage, cluding sound amplifi cati on, conference discussion and transport to and between conference venues systems, multi media, and interpretati on systems

Representati ve of the Consorti um

Head of the Project

Logisti cs Team of Heads Floral Coordinator of Meeti ngs Decorati ons Coordinator

Visual Multi media Agenda Coordinator Informati on Flags Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator of Hostesses Points and Banners Coordinator Coordinator

72 • preparation of information points at Warsaw and Altogether, interpretation services were provided for Poznań airports the 32 most important meetings held in Poland. Most • personal services, that is the work of hostesses and of them were simultaneously translated from 6 into 6 lan- ancillary and technical personnel. guages of the EU (Polish, English, French, German, Spanish, The provider of conference services was contractually and Italian). Two informal Councils (JHA and AGRIFISH) obliged to collaborate with the parties performing other were translated in the interpretation regime from 22 into tasks and partners of the Presidency in the scope of tasks 6 languages. During the summit of the Eastern Partnership during the preparations for meetings at the given venue in Warsaw, the plenary sessions were translated from 28 and during the meetings. All the activities of the contrac- into 13 languages. The listing of the language regimes tor were coordinated in real-time by the Department used during the individual meetings is presented in Annex of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency of EU Council in No. 2 to the report. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DKP MSZ). As far as written translation is concerned, approxi- As far as multimedia were concerned, the following mately 10,000 pages of text were translated into French, work was conducted: English, and German. Several incidental articles were » assembly and disassembly of cables and all devices also published in Esperanto. All the translations were » technical services during the meetings proofread by native speakers of the target languages. » checking the multimedia presentations received Foreign-language versions of materials, calendars, arti- from the sectors cles, and current information designed for the Presidency » provision of access to audio and video signals to information website www.pl2011.eu accounted for most other parties (HB, journalists, streaming) of the translations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pre- » distribution of materials through an internal high- pared language aids, including a glossary of terms related density television circuit. to the Presidency in four languages, and a set of several dozen templates for press releases in four languages. These materials served to maintain the terminological cohesion and precision of the translated texts. The most important meetings organised during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, i.e. the informal councils of ministers as well as the Eastern Partnership Summit and the Equality Summit, were interpreted by interpreters from the European Commission. An external contractor was responsible for the simultaneous interpretations during ministerial conferences, and provided consecutive interpreters for the needs of official dinners, bilateral meetings, and accompanying programmes during all the meetings of the Presidency for which the need for such interpretation was reported. The high-level meeting for the countries of the Southern Source: EasyLog Sp. z o.o. Partnership and the European Development Days were A conference hall arranged for the needs of Polish Presidency meetings both interpreted jointly by interpreters from SCIC and an external interpreting company.

2.4.2.8. Translation and interpretation services at the meetings

Interpretation services included: simultaneous interpretation during the plenary session in the language regime defined for the given meeting, interpretation -dur ing the optional working lunches, interpretation of press conferences, and also the possibility of using consecutive interpretation for Polish ministers during bilateral meetings and official dinners. In the case of certain informal councils, the accompanying programmes also required Source: EasyLog Sp. z o.o. provision of a consecutive interpreter. Infrastructure for simultaneous interpretation during the meetings of the Polish Presidency

73 Report 2.4. Organisati on of meeti ngs

2.4.2.9. Official dinners and catering on the Balti c, a visit to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka, presen- at conference venues tati on of a fi lm about Solidarity, etc. During the meeti ngs organised in the central system, ca- Organised for the parti cipants of central meeti ngs were tering at conference venues encompassed 57,135 meals, offi cial dinners, as a rule outside conference venues, of which 24,950 were coff ee breaks, 23,462 lunches, and as well as catering on the premises during coff ee breaks 10,723 dinners at conference venues. and lunches. Music was also provided at the offi cial A partner of the Polish Presidency, Coca-Cola Poland dinners. Services sp. z o.o., owner of the Kropla Beskidu brand, do- The offi cial dinners were organised for the needs nated approximately 105,000 litres of drinks to the most of each central meeti ng. Four of them were of a working important meeti ngs of the Presidency. character and 27 of an offi cial nature. The majority of offi cial dinners were held outside the conference venues, and their parti cipants were heads of nati onal delegati ons, 2.4.2.10. Presents for participants in the meetings together with accompanying persons and members of offi cial delegati ons. Held aft er the sessions, they pro- Parti cipants in the events taking place in Poland were vided an opportunity to present to EU delegates Polish presented with a range of presents, publicati ons, and hospitality, places of historical signifi cance, and culinary informati on and promoti onal materials, including: traditi ons in an att racti ve architectural setti ng. Ensuring » 9,555 so-called basic kits appropriate promoti on of Poland during the Presidency, » 1,432 sets for VIP parti cipants the menus of the offi cial dinners as well as of lunches and » 4,941 parti cipant kits coff ee breaks were nearly enti rely focused on traditi onal » 977 sets for accompanying persons Polish cuisine, with an emphasis on regional dishes in » 1,281 media packs. each of the Presidency citi es. More informati on about presents and promoti onal materi- External venues of the Presidency where offi cial dinners als of the Polish Presidency can be found in subchapter 2.5.2. were held included Gdańsk Shipyard Centre, the Polish Mariti me Museum, the Polish Balti c Philharmonic, the Artus Court in Gdańsk, Wrocław Town Hall, 2 .4 .3 . Friends of the Presidency Club the Nati onal Opera in Wrocław, the Salt Mine in Wieliczka, the Nati onal Museum in Cracow in Sukiennice (the Cloth Hall), Wierzynek restaurant in Cracow, the Nati onal The involvement of the private sector in the op- Museum in Poznań, Iglica (Spire) Pavilion No. 11 at Poznań erati on supporti ng the Polish Presidency of the Council Internati onal Fair, and the Copernicus Science Centre. of the European Union was not limited to the offi cial Provided during the offi cial dinners was an arti sti c pro- business partners of the Polish Presidency. Free support gramme, composed mostly of performances by pianists, as part of the Friends of the Presidency Club was also string ensembles, and regional bands bringing together declared by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), DHL young and talented arti sts, representi ng the given region Express, EurActi ve, the Polish Business Roundtable Club, of the Presidency (e.g. Chopin na Jazzowo na 3 fortepi- Fryderyk Chopin Airport in Warsaw, LOT Airlines, nk.pl, any / Chopin for 3 Jazz Pianos in Sopot, performance by Onet.pl, Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy, the Public Transport the Lajkonik Hobby Horse of Cracow, and cabaret groups). Authority of Warsaw (ZTM), ProxyAd, City Channel, Besides the arti sti c experiences, the offi cial dinners were Multi kino, Pekaes, and the Aeris Futuro Foundati on. Every accompanied by such att racti ons as a catamaran cruise member of the Club that signed a contract regarding free collaborati on with the Plenipotenti ary acti ng on behalf

Catering during the meeti ngs of the Polish Presidency

74 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supported the Presidency Partnerships as part of their statutory activity, e.g. by publishing information about the activities of the Presidency (Polskie The Presidency collaborated with non-governmental Radio dla Zagranicy, Kaleidoscope on-board magazine organisations that specialise in the building of pro-envi- of LOT Airlines, EurActive, Onet.pl, nk.pl), reinforcing ronmental civic attitudes. Support was offered through the visibility of the Presidency in the public space (Fryderyk grant competitions organised by the Ministry of Foreign Chopin Airport, ZTM, BGK), providing transport services Affairs and Ministry of the Environment in 2010 and 2011, of promotional materials and elements of the venue of which a number concerned environmental questions. furnishing (DHL, Pekaes), and coordinating the recycling Additionally, the Presidency consciously implemented of materials left from the Presidency meetings (Aeris the project of the Green Presidency in symbiosis with non- Futuro Foundation). governmental organisations, whose number included Information about business partners and members the Aeris Futuro Foundation, which permitted the num- of the Friends of the Presidency Club was made visible on ber of recipients of information about the campaign sup- a special tab on the www.pl2011.eu portal. At the same porting environmental and education in the area tobe time, the collaborating businesses provided information expanded.12 on their support for the Presidency in their own corporate communication. Travel and transport

The Presidency promoted group transport (minibuses, 2 .4 .4 . Green Presidency coaches) and public transport, unless they conflicted with the principles of security. In addition, one solar- powered coach and three electric passenger cars were The Polish Presidency of the EU Council tried to in use. Thanks to the judicious management of the fleet, limit the negative environmental impact by efficient use the Presidency managed to save nearly 50% of the funds of resources, including energy, water, and paper through entrusted by PKN Orlen, a partner of the Presidency, in logistics, production of presents and gadgets, selection fuel vouchers. This allowed a saving of 90,500 kg of CO2: of business partners and subcontractors, education, and the equivalent of what 12,000 trees consume on average also by accounting for pro-ecological criteria in the pro- during one year. cess of public procurement. Efforts were made to conduct the Presidency events in the so-called Green Standard and Conference and hotel venues make use of the potential of local communities while, at the same time being economically viable. The following Most of the venues used were situated in city cen- actions were undertaken for ‘greening’ of the Presidency: tres, newly built or modernised, adjusted to the needs of the disabled. Green procurement and management As part of the decoration of the venues, carpeting and furniture sets from natural, non-flammable fibres were Coordination of the ‘green’ aspects of the Presidency purchased and transported to the next venues. The rooms was in the hands of the Ministry of the Environment, were decorated with potted plants (boxwood and conif- which, besides running working groups related to the en- erous tree seedlings), which were also transported from vironmental aspects of the work of the European Union, location to location in Poland, and returned to the nursery prepared special campaigns addressed to the Polish garden after the end of the Presidency. Recycling was administration. Their objective was to encourage people managed by deploying containers for paper, glass, plastic, responsible for the Presidency to organise events and run and aluminium at conference venues. procurement procedures in line with the principles of sustainable growth. In this way, work on the preparation Catering of the Presidency became an opportunity to introduce the subject of green public procurement as part of train- In the tenders for catering companies, the Presidency ing for the Presidency Corps. showed a preference for Polish and regional cuisine and The Ministry of the Environment prepared an electronic local suppliers. Mass packaging for foodstuffs and furnish- guidebook on ‘green’ meetings, and during the training ing was used, and fresh fruit and vegetables were served for the members of the Presidency Corps a guidebook with each meal. Attempts were made to plan purchases by the Aeris Futuro Foundation entitled ‘Organizacja and meal sizes based on the data from the accreditation wydarzeń w zielonym standardzie’ [Organising events in system in order to avoid wasting food. Besides the pro- accordance with the Green Standard] was distributed.11 environmental aspect, serving dishes from local produce 11 http://zielonewydarzenia.pl/sites/default/files/imagecache/ Organizacja_wydarzen_w_zielonym_standardzie.pdf 12 http://pl2011.eu/content/zielona-prezydencja-0

75 Report 2.4. Organisation of meetings

also allowed the promotion of healthy food from organic the Warsaw-based Disabled for the Environment EKON farms. Moreover, the Presidency promoted Polish cuisine Association, nominated by the Foundation. Besides using traditional Polish produce in a special publication the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the project was joined by entitled Cuisine PL and published in English, French, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Environment, and Russian, and Polish. Ministry of National Education. Planned for the spring of 2012 is the symbolic planting of trees in a number Communication, promotion, and education corresponding to the value of the waste subjected to recycling. A special system for exchanging documents and news The collection project gathered 3800 kg of materials, (extranet) was developed for the internal communication of which 3330 kg will be reused and will not find its way of the Presidency Corps. For the external communication, to waste landfill. This includes: the website and the electronic accreditation system were » 2310 kg of waste paper and cardboard, which the main channels used. E-mail correspondence and ended up at a paper mill telephone conversations were the chief means of com- » 300 kg of scrap metal (including aluminium), sent munication. Additionally, regular teleconferences – espe- to smelting plants cially in the contacts with the Permanent Representation » 140 kg of banners, after being cut into thin strips, of the Republic of Poland at the European Union in baled and earmarked for alternative fuel. Brussels – were organised. According to a study by the US Environmental Protection As far as possible, exhibition equipment and materi- Agency (EPA),13 reuse of natural resources in the process als designed for repeated use and easy to transport of recycling, that is making other materials from them, (stands, roll ups) were used. As far as writing gadgets will relieve us of the need to mine and process more raw were concerned, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs produced materials, which allows major energy saving, and in this recyclable pencils only. The gadgets and presents were case lack of emission of 8400 kg of greenhouse gases to made by Polish artists and craftspeople. Towards the end the air, which is tantamount to the average annual con- of the Presidency, the promotional publications ‘About sumption of 1120 trees. Polska’ and ‘Cuisine PL’ were published as tablet applications, which increased their reach without the need to Miscellaneous commission more printing. An important element of the Green Events standard is The Presidency paid attention to the aesthetic quali- the understanding of the idea of Green Events, and the ob- ties of the cityscape. An example is the Floral and Green jectives of using pro-environmental solutions at the stage Warsaw – Floral Presidency14 competition, organised of organisation of meetings. To achieve that, the Ministry by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the support of the Environment trained approximately 120 officers for the Dzień Zielonej Prezydencji / Day of the Green responsible for the preparation of the Polish Presidency Presidency festival by the Ministry of the Environment, in the subject of green public procurement (GPP). where presents included 300 pansies in the colours of EU Two conferences meeting the Green Standard were and Poland. In an effort to ensure natural protection held: in Gdańsk, conducted by the Responsible Business after the completion of Presidency meetings in Sopot, Forum and the Ministry of Economy in collaboration the beach in the city where the tent with the Press Centre with the Aeris Futuro Foundation, and the conference operated was returned to its original condition. in Ojców, which – besides the subject range concerning the environmental aspects of the Presidency – also imple- Conclusion mented sustainable solutions. The period of the Presidency was used for the promo- Waste tion of the idea of greening the Polish administration. Meetings of an international character, prepared along Information and promotional materials that could not the lines of principles of organisation of green events, be used any more after the Presidency were entrusted to were a positive sign of Poland being a country that cares environmentally friendly waste management. To achieve for the state of the environment. The Presidency man- this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement aged to implement numerous new ‘green’ standards and with the Cracow-based Aeris Futuro Foundation, which promote a comprehensive overview of the organisation became a member of the Friends of the Presidency Club. 13 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Recycling and The foundation managed the coordination of collect- Composting, US Environmental Protection Agency, May 2011. ing waste left from the meetings of the Presidency and 14 www.tpw.org.pl/?Warszawa_w_kwiatach_i_zieleni:XXVIII_Konkurs_ its recycling. The collection of waste was conducted by Warszawa_w_kwiatach_i_zieleni_2011_%26%238211%3B_%22Prezyd encja_w_kwiatach%22:Regulamin_i_karty_zg%B3osze%F1s

76 of meetings, also in matters concerning respecting the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the principles of environmental protection. The experi- other institutions. ence gained will be shared further, as part of training The MPC team – in collaboration with governmental and for the staff of the central administration and local and local and regional administration – planned and imple- regional authorities (including the Zielone Wydarzenia – mented promotional projects at the General Secretariat kampania informacyjno-promocyjna / Green Events – in- of the Council of the European Union and in other insti- formation and promotional campaign of the Aeris Futuro tutions of the EU. One of the key elements was a series Foundation in 2012 and 2013), and also as part of sharing of events devoted to Marie Skłodowska-Curie. Besides know-how with EU Member States getting ready to hold the official, abundant cultural programme of the Polish presidencies in the EU Council in future. Presidency, a range of additional promotional projects were carried out in the EU institutions. One of them was the promotion of Polish cuisine and Polish products, fol- 2.4.5. Meetings in Brussels lowing the slogan ‘Polska smakuje’ / ‘Poland tastes great’, which presented high-quality food. In 14 restaurants in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Held in Brussels in connection with the Polish Presidency Union and European Commission, a Polish menu prepared were both the regular sessions of the EU Council and of its by Polish chefs – Adam Chrząstowski (an experienced preparatory organs and a number of meetings aimed at chef representing the catering trade) and Tomasz Duda the promotion of Poland as well as conferences and semi- (the cook to the Permanent Representation of the Republic nars on priority thematic areas of the Polish Presidency. of Poland to the EU) – was served. Selected items from During the 99 working days, 1439 sessions of groups the Polish menu were served at official lunches at the sec- and 53 sessions of sector councils were held in Brussels tor councils in Brussels and Luxembourg. In collaboration and Luxembourg. To cater for their needs, 1156 orders with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, for active translation/interpretation were made and 390 three campaigns aimed at the presentation of regional passive translation jobs were ordered. products awarded European Protected Geographical The Meeting Planning Coordinator (MPC) team took Status certificates were planned and carried out in care of the visual arrangement of the meetings and decora- the European Parliament and the General Secretariat tion and catering at the General Secretariat of the Council of the Council of the European Union; the regional prod- of the European Union and at the base of the Permanent ucts were Kashubian garden strawberries (kaszébskô Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU (more maléna), Łącko apples, and rogale swiętomarcińskie in subchapter 1.3.4.1). Altogether, over 410 working lunch- (St Martin croissants). es were organised (at the headquarters of the Permanent Initiated for the first time in the history of Member Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU, States presiding over the EU Council by the Polish the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Presidency was its active participation at the EU Council Union, and other institutions and restaurants). Elements staff party (with the participation of over 2000offic- of the Polish Presidency decorations, namely artistic -fur ers), while the Polish Christmas trees from State Forests niture, banners, and roll-ups, were presented at the main National Forest Holding decorated the buildings of the EU headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Council Council and the European Parliament before and during of the European Union – the Atrium, by the main VIP en- Christmas time. trance, in the rooms of the Polish Presidency on the 50th In 2011, the operations of the Permanent Representation floor, in the rooms of the delegations, in the press office, of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels concern- and in the building of the Permanent Representation ing public diplomacy were built around the central event of the Republic of Poland to the EU. Thanks to the collabo- of the year, which was the Polish Presidency of the EU ration with the Polish Tourist Information Centre (POIT) in Council and its priorities. The actions embarked on aimed Brussels, East Poland House, and the Małopolska Region at the reinforcement of the image of Poland in the ca- Office in Brussels, exhibitions of posters and photographs pacity of an active and constructive Member State, de- from various Polish regions were presented in the corri- voted to European integration, obtaining understanding dors of the General Secretariat of the EU Council building and support for the Polish point of view, and garnering in Brussels and Luxembourg. the favours of the decision-making circles in the EU and During the Presidency of the EU Council, more than of opinion-forming and expert circles in Brussels. A range 9000 official presents of the Polish Presidency were dis- of events described in the table below were organised. tributed to over 240 formations of working groups, sector councils, and high-ranking officers of the EU Council,

77 Report 2.4. Organisation of meetings

Table 11. Events organised by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU as part of public diplomacy

Event name Event description The conference is a flagship of the Brussels-based German Marshall Fund, whose participants include presidents and heads of government, Conference in the Brussels Forum series ministers, and high-ranking central officials, heads of think tanks, and other recognised intellectuals and analysts. The main guest was Minister Radosław Sikorski A seminar devoted to migration and mobility of Eastern Partnership The expert seminar ‘The EU & the East: countries in the EU, held at the headquarters of the European Policy migration and how to go forward’ Centre A seminar concerning the effectiveness of developmental aid and The expert seminar ‘EU Democracy democratisation in the EU, with the participation of Minister Krzysztof Support: Instruments and Effectiveness’ Stanowski, co-organised by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) A seminar on the role of the EU and the Community of Democracies The expert seminar ‘Europe and its in the policy of democratisation towards the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood: Towards a Renewed Neighbourhood of Europe in the context of the events of the Arab Spring. Partnership for Democracy’ The event was held in collaboration with the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) and Community of Democracies Executive Committee A conference accompanying the presentation of the ‘Think Global Act European’ report, which is the third round of collaboration between European think tanks (this time the project attracted the largest number The conference of think tanks so far: 16), which – following their own analysis of EU ‘Think Global Act European’ policies – formulate recommendations for every successive Presidency trio, this time PL-DK-CY, and present them in a joint report. Participating in the writing of the report on behalf of the Polish expert circles was demosEUROPA The ‘State of the Union’ conference An annual conference with the participation of Undersecretary of State of the European Policy Centre (EPC) Adam Jasser (KPRM) The conference ‘Eastern Partnership on A conference with the participation of Minister Radosław Sikorski, the eve of the Warsaw summit – time to devoted to the Eastern Partnership, and organised by the European deliver’ Policy Centre (EPC) A seminar on the influence of shale gas on the environment, especially The expert seminar ‘Shale Gas: the GHG emissions related to the production of natural gas from shale Environmental Perspective’ deposits, using the case study of Marcellus Shale in the US A seminar with the participation of Minister Beata Stelmach, presented by THINKTANK Magazine, devoted to the promotion of new The seminar ‘The Future of Europe Polish enterprise, presenting the outlook of Polish entrepreneurs – the Polish perspective’ on the challenges of European competitiveness, and experiences from the Polish transformation and change management in the face of the developmental challenges of Europe An annual conference devoted to the current issues and state of Europe, opportunities and challenges that the EU is facing, and ideas for Friends of Europe conference on ‘The State the future of Europe. With the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, of Europe: Re-thinking the European’ Donald Tusk being absent, Minister Jacek Rostowski participated in the event The Security and Defence Agenda An annual conference devoted to the Common Security and Defence conference ‘Security and Defence Day: Policy (CSDP). With Minister Radosław Sikorski being absent, Re-thinking Europe’s security priorities’ Minister Jan Borkowski participated in the debate

78 Event name Event description A seminar concerning the threats and opportunities faced by the New The seminar ‘The New European European Neighbourhood Policy, representing a new approach Neighbourhood Policy: In Search in the context of the events in North Africa and the development of a Successful Transition Model expert’ of the Eastern Partnership; conducted in collaboration with the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) A seminar devoted to the EU policy of democratisation towards the authoritarian regimes of the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood. The seminar ‘Democracy promotion The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU East and South after the Arab Spring: supported a panel devoted to EU relations with the East and Russia: Re-evaluating the EU’s Engagement with EU relations with Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation, with Authoritarian Regimes’ the participation of a representative of the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding A conference with the participation of Minister Ewa Bieńkowska and the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, devoted The conference ‘Towards an optimal to the reformed cohesion policy in the new multiannual financial cohesion policy for Europe’ perspective, and in the context of the crisis of the Eurozone and the need to ensure economic growth in the EU, organised by demosEUROPA A conference on the Polish view at Asia, making use of the fact of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council to present the Polish point of view (also as a representative outlook from Central and Eastern The conference ‘The Rise of Asia: Europe) in Brussels, and sharing our experience in relations with Perspectives from Eastern Europe’ the countries of Asia and identification of the potential areas for collaboration. The conference was organised by the Poland-Asia Research Centre (CSPA) and the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies A seminar organised by the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding in collaboration with the Permanent Representation. A contribution to the seminar was the presentation of a Centre’s The seminar ‘European Union and Russia report entitled ‘Rethinking EU – Russia Relationship’, developed under – How to Deal with Strategic Conundrum’ the guidance of the Joint Polish – Russian Group for Difficult Matters, which presented the Polish – Russian recommendations for mutual relations and the relationships between the EU and Russia

Among the best-appraised projects organised by dialogue, and openness, keen to participate in the shap- the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland ing of the European project and its agenda and in the de- to the EU, we can cite numerous actions in areas of stra- cision-making process in the EU among the participants tegic significance for Poland, for example those concern- of the EU decision-making process and in expert circles, ing the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), especially in Brussels. the European Neighbourhood Policy, and especially The tasks conducted by the Permanent Representation the Eastern Partnership; the EU policy of supporting de- in the field of cultural diplomacy concerned the general mocratisation and human rights, especially devoted to promotion of Poland during the Presidency of the Council the European Fund for Democracy; energy policy, espe- of the European Union and the anniversary celebra- cially concerning shale gas; economic policy and anti-cri- tions of Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Czesław Miłosz. sis activities, cohesion policy, and also areas that are less Altogether, 17 promotional projects took place: obvious for the involvement of Poland, e.g. the relations 1) a concert by the pianist Marek Tomaszewski and of Poland and Europe with Asia. the Siergiej Wowkotrub jazz trio, with an accom- Organisation of initiatives and projects by panying exhibition organised by the Mariusz the Permanent Representation or with its participation Kazana Foundation commemorating the opening helped to reinforce the image of Poland as a proactive of the new home of the Permanent Representation and constructive member of the EU – leading initiatives of the Republic of Poland to the EU at 139 Rue Stevin and making propositions – in the spirit of involvement,

79 Report 2.4. Organisation of meetings

2) a concert commemorating the beatification to the Presidency of the Council of the European of Pope John Paul II, organised in collaboration Union with the Office of the Apostolic Nuncio in Brussels 11) Polish Gala on the occasion of the Polish Presidency, 3) a presentation of an exhibition entitled Rysunki sa- with the participation of the Polish composer Jan tyryczne / Satirical Drawings by Paweł Kuczyński, A.P. Kaczmarek, co-organised with the Femmes from the collection of the Museum of Caricature in d’Europe Association Warsaw (the new headquarters of the Permanent 12) a conference entitled ‘The Native Realm, or Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU, Searching for the Europe of Czesław Miłosz’ co- European Economic and Social Committee, and -organised with the Permanent Representation the European Commission) of Lithuania to the EU and the Constituency 4) a presentation of a biographical exhibition presen- Office of Leonidas Donskis MEP at the European ting the life and achievements of Marie Skłodowska- Parliament Curie, prepared by the Maria Skłodowska-Curie 13) a seminar on voluntary service at the European Museum in Warsaw (Council of the European Parliament, co-organised by the Constituency Union, the European Court of Auditors in Office of Jan Kozłowski MEP Luxembourg, PolSCA Polish Science Contact Agency 14) a concert by the Polish choir Domino Cantes in of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Hasselt the Dominican Church in Brussels University, Belgium, Embassy of the Republic 15) a theatre production of ‘Maria Skłodowska-Curie: of Poland in Brussels, College of Europe in Bruges, The Book of Genesis / Naked to the Bone’, co-or- Commune de Saint-Gilles in Brussels, European ganised with the ‘PolSCA’ Polish Science Contact Economic and Social Committee, the municipali- Agency of the Polish Academy of Sciences and ty of Silly in Belgium, the Metropole Hotel (venue BASF at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, the venue of the 25 Solvay conference) in Brussels, Embassy of the 25 Solvay conference of the Republic of Poland in Luxembourg, European 16) a Christmas carol concert by the Polish Spirituals Gender Summit in Brussels, Catholic University Singers Band for the closing of the Polish Presidency in Leuven (Belgium), the International Year of the EU Council of Chemistry in Brussels, Polish Days in Breydel in 17) a presentation of Polish artistic prints from Belgium, KU Leuven in Belgium, Université libre the International Print Triennial in Cracow at in Brussels, and the Permanent Representation the Permanent Representation of the Republic of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels) of Poland to the EU. 5) the Polish Evening at the European Economic and Moreover, the representation supported numer- Social Committee ous projects promoting Poland and Polish culture in 6) the inauguration of the Polish Presidency with ‘King the institutions of the European Union and in the terri- Roger’, an opera by Karol Szymanowski at the La tory of Belgium. Stands promoting Poland and distribu- Monnaie Theatre tion of promotional materials, including CDs, books, and 7) Digest of Polish Film at the European Parliament, other gadgets prepared especially for that purpose were co-organised with the Constituency Office organised, mostly on the premises of EU institutions and of Bogusław Sonik, MEP in the territory of the country where a representation op- 8) an exhibition devoted to Maria Skłodowska- erates. The recipients of the promotional materials were Curie, exhibition by the Polish Centre of Tourist mostly officers employed in EU institutions. Information, exhibition of the National Agency Thanks to conditions conducive for the organisa- of the ‘Youth in Action’ Programme under the pation of meetings in the rooms of the new building tronage of the Minister of National Education en- of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland titled Volunteering Changes the World (buil- to the EU, it was possible to conduct many conferences ding of the Council of the European Union in and seminars planned for the duration of the Presidency Luxembourg) at the headquarters of the Representation. The events 9) a ‘Jeudi Veggie’ dinner, promoting Polish vegeta- organised included the following: rian cuisine, in collaboration with the Planète Vie 1) An informal seminar for the Political and Security Association Committee Ambassadors. Its objective was to 10) the publication of ‘Od horyzontu do przewod- discuss one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency nictwa’ (‘From the Horizon to the Presidency’) concerning the external aspects of energy security by Dominika Cosić, explaining the recent history of the European Union. of Poland in the EU from the negotiation period 2) A conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the control of exports of arms, with

80 the participation of representatives of the Member European think tank in collaboration with States, European External Action Service (EEAS), the Polish Presidency. Among the speakers partici- and non-governmental organisations to discuss pating in the conference were the leading repre- questions including those related to the EU posi- sentatives of EU institutions (EC, EP, and others), tion concerning the Arms Trade Treaty. Member States (including Poland), representati- 3) Official dinner of the Enlargement Forum concer- ves of so-called stakeholders, and representatives ning the enlargement of the EU, with the partici- of leading European media present in Brussels pation of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU, (including the Financial Times and Euronews). the High Representative of the Union for Foreign The discussion was held in the following four pa- Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, and nels: The EU’S Three Ages: Rise, Decline and Fall?; the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Project Phoenix: Setting Out a Real Political Agenda Neighbourhood Štefan Füle. The goal behind for Europe; Retaining Europe’s ‘Values’ Leadership the dinner was to provide momentum to the en- and Winning back Citizens; and Europe’s New largement policy. Neighbourhood. During the official dinner after 4) A seminar entitled ‘The New European the closing of the conference, the Polish Presidency Neighbourhood Policy: In Search of a Successful was represented by the Minister of Finance, Jacek Transition Model’ organised together with Rostowski. the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). 8) Political conference on the multiannual fi- The seminar was devoted to the first assessment nancial framework and concerning the future of the review of the European Neighbourhood of the EU budget. The conference, opened by Policy in its southern and eastern dimension, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Donald and was addressed to experts from represen- Tusk, the President of the European Parliament tations of Member States in Brussels, the staff Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European of the European Commission and the EEAS, acade- Commission José Manuel Barroso and organised mics, representatives of think tanks, and experts in collaboration with the European Commission from the region. and the European Parliament, brought together 5) A seminar entitled ‘The development of human the Polish members of the Parliament, ministers, capital in the context of the EU neighbourhood and other interested parties, and representatives policy’, co-organised by the Ministry of National of the EU institutions. Education and the European Training Foundation Other events organised with the participation (ETF), with the participation of representatives of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of the European Parliament, DG Education and of Poland to the EU in Brussels: Culture, the General Secretariat of the Council, 1) exhibitions at the General Secretariat of the EU countries covered by the Eastern Partnership Council and the European Commission, presenting programme, and members of the Committee on the Polish regions in collaboration with the POIT Culture and Education (CULT). The discussion con- and a representation of East Poland House, and cerned the options of development for human ca- other regional representations pital by activities in the field of education, especial- 2) bicycle trips, quizzes about Poland at the European ly in higher education in the states of the Eastern school and schools of Belgium Partnership, in collaboration with the EU. The par- 3) the Presidency picnic ticipants were made aware of the achievements 4) marathon with the participation of Polish officers of the ETF and European Commission in the field. (the Polan group ran in T-shirts bearing the logo 6) A conference at the European Commission building of the Polish Presidency) entitled ‘Protecting civil aviation against terrorism. 5) Polish Days at Aspria Royal la Rasante sport clubs. The aviation industry, transport companies, airlines, and organisations dealing with questions of civil aviation’. The goal behind the conference was 2.4.6. Other meetings abroad to exchange views concerning the level of terrorist threat for civil aviation, the development of techniques of aviation protection to date, and future Some meetings and events of the Polish Presidency took opportunities for improving them. place abroad; these included meetings and events whose 7) A high-level conference entitled ‘The State content was the responsibility of ministries, those that of Europe’ together with the official President’s resulted from Poland being the diplomatic representation Dinner, organised by the Friends of Europe, of the European Union (i.e. the so-called local Presidency),

81 Report 2.4. Organisation of meetings

and also events and projects promoting Poland and Moreover, during the entire second half of 2011, numer- the Polish Presidency abroad. Involved in the organisation ous expert meetings – whose organisation was the duty of the meetings and events described above were Polish of ministries (including, but not solely, those of the envi- diplomatic missions from all over the world: embassies, ronment, foreign affairs, interior affairs and administra- permanent representations, consulates, and Polish insti- tion, justice, finance, and health) – and accompanying tutes, and the events were conducted as part of a number events were organised abroad. of task areas. Another significant theme, which obliged the missions At the request of the ministries, Polish diplomatic to organise meetings abroad, was the role of represent- missions provided organisational and logistic support ing the European Union awarded to selected missions, necessary in the organisation of foreign meetings related i.e. the so-called local presidency. To fulfil this function, to the Presidency by individual ministries. Their number the Polish diplomatic missions in the countries men- included various theme-based seminars and conferences, tioned in the EEAS document entitled ‘EU Diplomatic ministerial forums, sessions of working groups, councils, Representation in Third Countries – Second Half of 2011’ expert consultations, workshops, and also numerous ac- were obliged to carry out the tasks of the EU Delegation companying events and receptions organised to accompa- that has no seat in the given country or no head at ny the informal consultations on behalf of the Presidency, the rank of ambassador. From July to December 2011, meetings related to providing services for the preparatory Poland played the role of local presidency in the Republic organs of the EU Council, and other occasional meetings/ of Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, receptions related to the Presidency. In respect to the task the Republic of Cuba, the United Arab Emirates, the Islamic described above, the preparations for the organisation Republic of Iran, the State of Kuwait, New Zealand, of the meetings were carried out by Polish foreign dip- the Republic of Uzbekistan, the State of Qatar, the Holy lomatic missions throughout 2011, while the practical See, and Turkmenistan. As a result, the Polish missions execution of the events took place in the second half to the countries listed above were responsible among of 2011, i.e. during the Polish Presidency of the Council other things for providing services to working groups, of the European Union. The contribution of the missions also including EU Heads of Mission (HoMs), and political, to the scope described above included primarily organisa- economic, consular and visa, and cultural groups, as well tional and logistic support of the ministries. In many cases as for the organisation of other meetings and events the missions conducted negotiations with local suppliers, related to the Presidency. It must be emphasised that contractors, and subcontractors, but they also worked due to the lack of diplomatic representation of Hungary with local authorities, and moreover were responsible in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Islamic for the booking of conference premises, accommoda- Republic of Iraq, New Zealand, the Republic of Uzbekistan, tion and transport and the provision of the necessary and Turkmenistan, on the power of the decision of the EU technical equipment and catering for the meetings. It Council Poland was already performing the role of lo- frequently turned out that conducting negotiations, talks, cal presidency in these countries during the Hungarian and consultations with business partners required the lo- Presidency (January–June 2011). cal language, for which reason the assistance of the staff A significant area of activity of Polish foreign missions of Polish diplomatic missions was necessary. Moreover, concerning the organisation of meetings was initiatives the staff of the missions provided practical guidelines con- in the field of public and cultural diplomacy aiming at cerning local legal regulations, standards, laws, and norms the promotion of Poland and the Polish Presidency abroad, observed in their respective countries. and reinforcement of the political message of the Polish One of the most important meetings abroad organised Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The area during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European enjoyed especially great interest among the diplomatic Union was the 17th Conference of the Parties to missions. The missions were exceptionally devoted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate the implementation of such projects, and were eager to Change (COP17), whose organisation was a responsibility prove their own initiative and at the same time a high level of the Ministry of Environment. The conference was held of independence and innovation. The completed projects in Durban (Republic of South Africa) from 28 November to included seminars, conferences and debates15, competi- 9 December 2011, and was preceded by expert meetings tions for schools, information supplements for magazines in Cape Town (the so-called pre-COP-17). The prepara- and newspapers, concerts, film showings, meetings with tion of this event was a special challenge, both in expert 15 Examples include lectures by Professor Marek Belka at Berkeley terms and in organisational and logistic matters: plenty University in California, by Professor Zygmunt Bauman in Stockholm, of difficulties were caused by the location of the meeting the Round Table on the European future of the Balkans in Sofia, EUNIC in the Republic of South Africa and the low flexibility and Conference on public and cultural diplomacy in London, and the con- highly restrictive conditions of collaboration imposed by ference on the Polish Presidency of EU Council – the Path to European Eastern Policy in Saint Petersburg. Plenty of events were devoted to the South African local authorities. the Eastern Partnership, green technologies, and enterprise of women.

82 artists, and exhibitions held in many European countries, and also outside Europe – in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Qatar, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Armenia, Moldova, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, India, Peru, and Brazil. The initiatives completed by the missions were aligned with the priorities of the Polish Presidency, both in their function of promoting the political programme and implementation of the cultural programme, and in what was seen broadly as the promotion of Poland. More than 7500 press releases were published during the Polish Presidency in the European, Chinese, and Japanese media about the Polish cultural events. These included information in highly influential titles: ‘Der Tagesspiegel’, ‘Le Soir’, ‘The Independent’, ‘The Times’, ‘El Kultura’, ‘El País’, ‘Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’, ‘The Telegraph’, ‘El Mundo’, ‘Afisha’, ‘Rossiyskaya Gazeta’, ‘Libération’, ‘Le Figaroscope’, and ‘Jazz Tokyo’. The Polish Presidency also focused on supporting transformation processes in the states of North Africa and in other countries of the EU Southern Neighbourhood. The experiences from the period of transformation were shared among others in Tunisia by leading Polish experts in economics, judiciary, and constitutional law, as well as politicians. Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began collaboration with the largest media network in Africa and the Middle East – Al Jazeera. This unprecedented project had the aim of reaching the largest population of the states of that region with the ideas that accompanied the Polish transformation. A listing of selected foreign meetings conducted by Polish diplomatic missions and related to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union held by Poland in the second half of 2011 is included as Annex No. 3 to this report.

83 Report

2.5. Promotion, information, culture

2.5.1. Visual identification On 21 October 2009, the Plenipotentiary announced a competition for the logo of the Presidency. It was a closed competition. Participation was invited from 2.5.1.1. Visual identification system both recognised visual artists and the young generation of designers of visual communication and brand devel- o support the content-related premises of the Polish opment. Consulting in matters related to the organisa- TPresidency of the EU Council, it was necessary to tion of the competition and its course was provided by build a coherent concept for visualising the Presidency’s the Institute of Industrial Design. The jury was composed message. Visual communication plays an increasing role of experts in various fields: graphic designers, special- in the contemporary world, which is why it was strongly ists in visual communication, and building and market- emphasised in the context of promotion of the Presidency. ing of brands, practitioners in communication strategy, The visual identification was designed and constructed and representatives of the state administration. After so as to best meet the communication guidelines the fourth and last stage of the competition, by the deci- of the Presidency. sion of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of 22 July Coherent visual communication provided an individual 2010, the closed competition for the draft logo as an distinguishing feature of the Presidency. The concept element of visualisation of the communication strategy of visual identification of the Presidency was devel- of the Polish Presidency of the EU in 2011 was concluded oped and implemented in the following areas: the logo without the selection of a winning design. – the most important visual symbol of the Polish Jerzy Janiszewski, a recognised Polish graphic artist, Presidency, gadgets and presents, gifts, materials for the designer of the Solidarity logo, was invited to col- visual identification including banners and roll-ups, publi- laborate. In November 2010, the artist delivered the final cations, and the design and arrangement of selected con- version of the visual identification book of the logo. ference venues (in Poland and in Brussels) with the use of Polish industrial design. In order to ensure a coherent visual concept, ‘Podręcznik dot. komunikacji wizualnej prezydencji’ [Guidebook on the visual communication of the Presidency] was prepared for the administration, competition juries, and for all the subcontractors and parties dealing with visual projects. The scope of the guidebook included guidelines concerning the selection of projects, gadgets, presents, and conference materials promoting the Polish Presidency, as well as the furniture and furnishings of the main buildings of the Presidency. The guidebook The logo of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council and the logo was helpful in the planning of purchases and arrange- of Solidarity by Jerzy Janiszewski ment and decoration of the venues of the meetings. Even though it had no binding power, it had a positive Experience from the last few years has demonstrated influence on the construction of a coherent image for the practice that Member States have disclosed the logo the Polish Presidency, reflecting its modern character, only at short notice before taking up the Presidency transparency and ingenuity – the features we would like of the Council of the European Union. The logo to be associated with the Polish Presidency of the EU of the Polish Presidency remained secret for a long time Council. The guidebook prepared to cater for the needs and was known only to a limited number of people. of the Presidency was the first holistic listing of guidelines Detailed guidelines for passing the logo to ministries, mis- on visual communication in public administration. sions, and contractors were drafted. Officially, the logo was presented on 14 May 2011 at a press conference by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk. 2.5.1.2. The logo of the Polish Presidency Dynamism, positive energy, and solidarity were the main messages carried by the logo of the Polish Presidency. One of the most important elements for building visual The logo was rated very highly by the public in Poland identification was to design a unique logo. Properly de- and abroad. Studies proved the logo was the most recog- signed, the visual symbol was intended to render the vi- nisable symbol of the Presidency and acted as a flagship sion and the basic premises of the Presidency suitably. At for it, and therefore it played that role. It showed Poland the same time, the positive associations with the symbol as a modern, creative state strongly devoted to the idea were to build a favourable image of the Presidency and of European integration. Poland all over the world.

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After the completion of the Polish Presidency, each presidency, including the guide to the meeting, its the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented an initiative agenda, and a ‘Who’s Who’ brochure, individually pre- to use the symbol of the Polish Presidency as the logo pared for every central meeting. of the Polish Foundation for International Co-operation After the conclusion of the Polish Presidency, and Development ‘Fundacja Wiedzieć Jak’ (Foundation for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made sure that the unused International Solidarity) based in Warsaw. The ceremony to materials were managed rationally. Those that could still present the logo of the Polish Presidency to the Foundation be used were transferred free of charge to community for International Solidarity took place on 20 January 2012 partners and offered to charity. The others will continue in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. to be used in the operations of the ministry and foreign missions, or were managed in accordance with the ‘green standards’. 2.5.1.3. Promotional materials and conference accessories 2.5.2. Presents and gifts of the Presidency Produced for the needs of the Polish Presidency were promotional materials used to exhibit the logo at meeting venues. They were the visual element of the venue It is a tradition of each presidency to present guests furnishings and included conference materials and ac- visiting the host country with gifts. It is an ideal mo- cessories as well as information publications presented ment for the promotion of the country and an opportu- to the guests during the meetings. The number and type nity to draw attention to these aspects of culture and/ of materials were agreed based on the data from the previ- or the economy that are desirable from the point of view ous presidencies, also after accounting for the anticipated of the strategy of promoting the country. For that reason, number of guests at the individual meetings of the Polish the selection of the gifts and presents of the Presidency Presidency. Besides the basic tasks related to their func- that were given to the participants of selected (mostly tionality (e.g. the background to the family photo) at central) meetings of the Polish Presidency provided a sig- the sites, these materials were primarily used to build nificant element of the preparations. Such objects were the visual message of the Polish Presidency by the em- intended to promote Polish design, art and culture, and phasis on the logo, titles of meetings and conferences, to help the creation and establishment of a positive image which in turn emphasised the character of meetings at of the Presidency and Poland. the venues, as well – e.g. in the case of backdrops to con- The guidelines and suggestions concerning the presents ferences – as being used for TV broadcasts. The basic were included in the ‘Guidebook concerning visual com- guidelines for the production of all materials were clarity, munication of the Presidency’. As the Polish design mar- functionality, and visual coherence. Every venue was pro- ket is very well developed and plenty of highly recognised vided with the logo of the Presidency, and its colour range useful objects are available, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conformed to the Pantone range of the logo. decided to purchase them through public procurement The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to approach this from the list of already existing objects. area of visual identification comprehensively, and cover Following the procurement procedures that lasted not only the centrally organised meetings in Poland and from mid-2010 to mid-2011, the following objects were the first working groups in Brussels but also the meetings selected: of the Presidency organised by the ministries at expert » silver cufflinks with banded (stripped) flint level. Such a strategy required major involvement in » wooden hand-painted spinning tops managing information flow and logistics of distribution » leather briefcase for documents of the materials, yet it guaranteed that coherent visual » Mleko & Miód (Milk and Honey) set identification could be maintained on a greater scale, » Presidency neck ties and scarves. and assured the high quality of the products and their alignment with communication guidelines that provided Wooden, hand-painted spinning tops the grounds for the promotional strategy of the Polish Designed by: Monika Wilczyńska. Smaga Projektanci Presidency. The conference materials commissioned for the needs The set of four hand-painted wooden spinning tops of the Presidency covered useful everyday items, in- is a toy inspired by Polish folk costumes, which evokes cluding notepads, pencils, mints, self-adhesive stickers, pleasant memories of childhood and enjoys unwaver- bags, and lanyards. An important source of information ing popularity. The main inspiration for the project was for the guests of the meetings were the standard minor provided by women in traditional Polish folk costumes publications presented at all central meetings during whirling in a dance. Hence the shape of the spinning top:

86 the revolving toy depicts a dancer in motion, portray- The official neckwear of the Presidency ing the richness of colours of Polish traditional regional costume. Manufactured traditionally from painted wood, Owing to the high importance of neckwear in the per- they are operated by hand. ception and building of the image of the Presidency, special attention was paid to the way it was made from the highest-quality materials. Following this strategy, the design and later production of neck ties and scarves was entrusted to professional suppliers. The ties and scarves were designed by Zaremba, a Polish tailoring designer with long traditions. The gifts were manufactured by producers chosen in a succession of three procurement procedures conducted in June and August 2011. The highest-class silk was used to make 25,000 ties and 9000 scarves in the spirit of modern design.

Spinning tops

Milk and Honey Designed by: Beza projekt

The inspiration for the Milk and Honey product was the traditional phrase describing Poland as a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’. The design focuses on the potential of natural resources and the heritage of Poland. The an- The neck ties and scarf of the Polish Presidency cient traditions of forest honey harvesting date back to the Poland of the 14th century. Polish honeys are natural The concept of visual communication of the Polish and unprocessed. The traditional product is served in Presidency was based on providing high-quality materi- a highly modern manner, in packaging that is minimal- als: functional and modern, as far as possible produced ist in its form. The set includes a milk glass, a spoon, by recycling or recyclable. One of the main guidelines and a jar of honey with information about its contents, was to present designs created by Polish designers and the variety of honey, etc. The glass features a special manufactured by Polish producers. A further significant thermal print (logo), which signals the right temperature element of the concept was the use of a variety of local of milk (40°C/104°F) for honey not to lose its nutritional materials. The presents of the Polish Presidency were properties. supposed to show that there are products in Poland that have been made according to the global design trends that at the same time are innovative and produced using state-of-the-art technologies. The presents were given in packaging that combined simplicity and minimalism with functionality. Another goal was to show that Poland is a modern country with vast creative potential and intellectual capital, while our designers are world-class. Recipients of the presents and gifts were Heads of State or Government, ministers, other high officials, the remaining members of delegations, experts participating in the working groups, and media representatives. The institutions organising expert meetings were able to provide presents of their own at the meetings.

Milk and Honey set

87 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

2.5.3. Publications the books category. The advantages of digital publication include the possibility of regular updating and increasing outreach while minimising the costs and negative An unorthodox contribution of the Presidency to impact on the natural environment. Thanks to their good the promotion of Poland was the issuing of two publica- reception and universal content, both ‘About Polska’ tions, designed from scratch as part of the information and ‘Cuisine PL’ will continue to be used by the Ministry and gift sets for the participants of the meetings and of Foreign Affairs in public diplomacy projects in future: the media. The first of them was ‘About Polska’: a modern both in hardcopy and as tablet applications. and functional guidebook in English to help foreigners understand Poland and Poles in an attractive and accessible manner, and to discover the most interesting places recommended by public figures and cultural organisers. In its eight chapters, the book presents a coherent, transparent, and up-to-date review of the most important fields of business, civic, and cultural life of Poland. It pays attention to the places, people, and phenomena that demonstrate that Poland is a country of rich tradition, and at the same time creative, modern, and dynamic. The other official publication of the Presidency was the lifestyle cookbook ‘Cuisine PL’, published in English, French, Russian, and Polish, and promoting the best in Polish cooking. Traditional Polish dishes based on foods generally associated with Polish cuisine (e.g. cucumber, Publications of the Polish Presidency buckwheat, poppy seed, herring) were arranged in a highly modern way by 16 famous chefs. Each recipe is preceded by a description of the products tailored to the foreign 2 .5 .4 . Presidency furniture reader, and provided with the cultural context of the dish. ‘About Polska’ and ‘Cuisine PL’ were unconventional publications, aimed at inspiring further visits to Poland, The keystone of the visual identification of the Presidency and complementing in an intelligent manner the -infor was the idea to provide the venues of the Polish Presidency mation packages and presents for foreign delegations. in Poland and in Brussels with image-building furniture. Their role was to kindle the appetite for Poland rather As the third-largest producer of furniture in Europe and than provide extensive knowledge about the current fourth in the world, Poland has vast design and intellec- political, economic, and cultural situation of the country. tual potential in the area. The publications attract attention to the places, people, Work on the arrangements of selected interiors in and phenomena that corroborate the image of Poland the venues where the meetings of the Presidency were and Poles as a nation with tradition and ambitions that is held began in early 2010. The basic challenge that at the same time creative, modern, and dynamic. the artists faced was to design universal furniture that ‘About Polska’ and ‘Cuisine PL’ were published in would allow adjustment to the variety of the interiors line with the visual identification of the Presidency. of Presidency venues, and enable the arrangement to be Minimalist form, good design and illustrations, and useful altered for the various needs of the individual meetings, character were stressed. Both the publications enjoyed at the same time remaining high-quality objects of every- much popularity among both delegates and journal- day use – the entire arrangement was repeatedly used at ists. The Presidency published 12,000 copies of each several venues in line with the formula of holding meet- publication altogether, with the Polish foreign missions ings ‘region by region’. printing 13,000 additional copies of ‘About Polska’ and The works resulted in the development of a system 10,000 copies of ‘Cuisine PL’. Moreover, the Ministry of artistic furniture with a coherent expression and of Foreign Affairs commissioned the development variety of uses, configurable and allowing combination of a tablet application based on the two publications, of individual elements depending on the functional needs which was a pioneering project on the scale of the entire of the space. The common denominator of the elements state administration. Applications can be downloaded of the arrangement is the juxtaposition of natural and tra- from anywhere in the world free of charge from AppStore ditional Polish materials, namely beech wood and wool, and Android Market. During the first month of its online with the freshness of contemporary design and the use presence, ‘Cuisine PL’ was downloaded more than 7000 of modern industry with its technologically advanced, in- times, becoming one of the most popular applications in novative solutions.

88 The designer of a large proportion of the furnishing was Tomek Rygalik, a representative of the young generation of Polish industrial design in the world, and a well-known furniture and interior designer in Poland.

Malafor stumps

Sample arrangement of a plenary session hall of the Presidency

Interfacefloor carpeting in the Justus Lipsius Building in Brussels

2.5.5. Coherence of the visual identification Conference furniture of the Presidency and entire administration As a result of the tendering procedure, furniture of other Polish designers was also purchased to increase the extent of promotion of Polish furniture design. Such As a complement to the existing guidelines concerning furniture included the more decorative elements, as was the visual identification materials of the Polish Presidency the case with the tree stumps by Małe Laboratorium (the first document to discuss in detail the principles and Formy Malafor, and the system of conference tables de- goals of visual identification of the Presidency and pro- signed by Piotr Kuchciński, whose distinguishing features motion of Poland during the Presidency was ‘Wytyczne include universal character and flexibility of application dotyczące polityki komunikacyjnej polskiej prezydencji as well as high comfort of use. The original and sophisti- w Radzie UE w 2011 roku’ [Guidelines concerning the com- cated aesthetic qualities of the Interfacefloor carpeting, munication policy of the Polish Presidency of the EU together with the interactive installation of Genotyp Council in 2011], approved by the Committee for European lamps, provided a powerful accent in one of the sites Affairs on 30 July 2010) a document entitled ‘Wytyczne most important for the image, the Justus Lipsius Building dot. resortowych materiałów promocyjnych na spotkania in Brussels. odbywające się podczas Prezydencji’ [Guidelines concerning the sectoral promotional materials for the meetings held during the Presidency] was developed. It contained the principles for the selection of sectoral presents, and guidelines concerning the environmentally friendly character of promotional materials and packaging. A similar document on the visual identification of the Presidency

89 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

and the guidelines for its use was designed with the re- recap of the events accompanying the preparations, in- gions where the central meetings of the Presidency took cluding conferences and seminars. Current information place in mind. The actions described above aimed at was sent directly to the directors of individual depart- ensuring cohesion in the visual identification of the Polish ments in the ministries and to the Presidency Contact Presidency. Points. Moreover, the information was published on the intranet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so that all the employees of the ministry, including the staff of diplo- 2.5.6. Communication matic and consular missions, had access to it. (NGOs, the Internet, social campaigns) Presidency extranet

2.5.6.1. Internal communication To ensure efficient and quick communication between during the Presidency the institutions involved in the preparation of the Polish Presidency, in May 2010 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Network of contact points launched the Extranet of the 2011 Polish Presidency. The service operated at the address extranet. In 2009, the institutions involved in the preparations prezydencjaue.gov.pl, and required authorisation for for the Polish Presidency were asked to nominate within access. Management of the service was in the hands their structures the so-called Presidency Contact Points. of the Department of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency The scope of the tasks carried out by the Presidency of the EU Council. Contact Point included: » coordination of the flow of information concerning preparations for the Presidency » facilitating mutual contacts for people directly involved in preparations for the Presidency, dealing with specific thematic areas (e.g. the question of the multiannual programme, the calendar, etc.) » participation in regular meetings organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concerning the review of current activities for preparation for the Polish Presidency. The Presidency Contact Points were appointed in 66 central institutions. The meetings were organised on average once a month (the shorter the time remaining to the Presidency, the less often). Discussed during the meet- The Extranet of the Polish Presidency is a communica- ings was the current state of preparations in the following tions tool aimed at facilitating the exchange of information areas: human resources, training, budget, partnership, about the current state of preparations for the Presidency logistics, promotion and information, programming, and by gathering all the materials concerning the prepara- translation and interpretation. tions within a single space. Additionally, it increased The Presidency Contact Points were obliged to share the efficiency of work by staff, and lowered administrative the information they acquired at the meeting with all costs (by reducing paper consumption and the number the employees of their institution and the units report- of telephone conversations). More than 120 institu- ing to it and involved in the preparations for the Polish tions had access to the service, their number including Presidency of the EU Council. ministries, central institutions, and foreign missions. The meetings were organised starting in September A variety of information was also entered on the system 2009; their total number was 20. by the Ministry’s Department of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency of the EU Council at the request of other Current information institutions. Users of the Presidency’s extranet were the Presidency The Department of Coordination of Poland’s Presidency Contact Points, members of the Presidency Corps, and of EU Council prepared so-called current information regu- other people nominated by institutions and missions and larly, including a review of preparations for the Presidency involved in the process of preparation for the Presidency in the following areas: programming, logistics, budget, – altogether approx. 3000 people. Users gained access to HR and training, promotion and information, and a brief

90 the system by creating accounts that protected logging in 2 .5 .6 .3 . Websites by a combination of user name and password. While the service was in operation, studies of the func- www.prezydencjaue.gov.pl tionality of the Presidency’s extranet were conducted twice. The first of the studies took place in July 2010 among Poland was the first country to launch a website the Presidency Contact Points, and the second in October documenting the process of preparing for the Presidency, 2010 among the administration employees with extranet which was done as early as February 2009. The news accounts. In both cases, the respondents believed that published on the website for more than two years con- the launch of the portal was necessary (over 80%), and cerned various aspects of the preparations for the Polish half of them confirmed that its operation helped to re- Presidency. Thanks to the collaboration with non-govern- inforce internal communication between the institutions mental organisations and various academic institutions, in the process of preparations for the Presidency. More the website also published invitations to conferences and than 60% of the Presidency extranet users confirmed that meetings. the portal made it possible to find the desired information quickly. Moreover, approximately 80% of the respondents approved of the visual layout of the service and its transparency. No technical problems related to the operation of the portal were encountered. Of the people participating in the study, 60% considered the Calendar and Logistics section the most important, while 14% favoured the Budget section. A third of respondents wanted the system to be more interactive. The staff of the institutions also mentioned that being allowed to make entries Most visits to the website devoted to the preparation in the Documents Library would be justified as well. for the Presidency were recorded from January to June 2011, which matched the increase in the public interest 2.5.6.2. Social campaigns: promotion of at the beginning of the Polish Presidency. The statistics the Polish Presidency on the Internet of visits while the website was operational and also the number of users in individual months are presented A special document entitled ‘Wytyczne dot. pro- in the table below. mocji polskiej prezydencji w Internecie’ [Guidelines concerning the promotion of the Polish Presidency on Table 12. Statistics of the www.prezydencjaue.gov.pl the Internet] was designed in November 2010, especially website for the needs of the strategic implementation of activities on the Internet. It included the description of the stages No . of of individual activities and channels, and also general Month No. of visits No . of users page principles of communication on the network. The most views important guidelines for the tasks conducted included: » clear language with no official jargon – Feb. 2009 5,257 3,696 23,443 the Presidency was a complex political process, yet March 2009 5,011 3,436 17,361 one which could be written about in an accessible April 2009 3,958 2,710 12,563 and interesting manner » opening to dialogue: online presence primarily en- May 2009 4,292 3,088 13,131 tails openness to bilateral communication and co- June 2009 4,316 2,699 12,928 authoring of contents by internet users. The goal July 2009 4,281 2,447 12,679 was to include the users in direct discussion about various aspects of holding the Presidency, and also Aug. 2009 3,600 2,039 12,750 allow them an opportunity to express their ques- Sep. 2009 5,544 3,332 17,150 tions, ideas, and also criticism actively Oct. 2009 7,741 4,856 24,475 » invitation to participation: the objective was to Nov. 2009 8,391 5,835 23,621 show that the Polish Presidency is not only a political action, but also a huge social and cultural pro- Dec. 2009 7,655 5,446 20,341 ject, in which every citizen may become involved. Jan. 2010 10,149 7,346 31,712 Feb. 2010 8,058 6,008 25,038 March 2010 8,916 6,471 29,233

91 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

No . of The largest number of visits to the portal was recorded Month No. of visits No . of users page in July 2011, with the launching of the Presidency. views Later, a high level of interest in information provided by the portal was registered in September, October, and April 2010 9,245 6,775 42,033 November. During the holidays (August), and towards May 2010 10,216 7,559 55,963 the end of the Presidency (December) major drops in June 2010 10,943 7,821 50,865 the numbers of visitors and page views were registered. The statistics of the portal from June to December 2011 July 2010 9,514 6,156 43,239 and the countries of origin of the visitors are presented in Aug. 2010 9,220 5,824 44,722 the tables below. Sep. 2010 12,433 8,541 54,650 Oct. 2010 14,484 10,119 67,785 Table 13. Statistics for the website www.pl2011.eu Nov. 2010 17,731 12,192 79,530 No . of No . of Dec. 2010 19,747 13,863 85,744 Month No. of visitors visits page views Jan. 2011 33,869 22,584 166,104 June 2011 33,799 25,181 167,133 Feb. 2011 38,686 25,923 197,369 July 2011 197,610 128,243 765,165 March 2011 55,437 35,384 280,920 April 2011 44,639 29,111 215,108 Aug. 2011 92,243 62,105 334,888 May 2011 74,501 52,391 356,595 Sep. 2011 156,540 100,494 550,207 June 2011 80,538 58,148 359,830 Oct. 2011 126,901 80,361 416,451 Nov. 2011 122,630 79,182 369,114 The website used the Joomla Content Management System. It was updated until June 2011, that is Dec. 2011 88,339 59,539 254,525 the moment at which the official portal of the Presidency, www.pl2011.eu, was launched. Today, the archived ver- Table 14. Sources of visits of the www.pl2011.eu sion of it can be browsed. website www .pl2011 .eu Country % of visitors The official portal of the Polish Presidency Poland 60.62% – www.pl2011.eu – was launched on 22 June 2011. Belgium 9.22% The service was divided into the following sections: Germany 4.04% Meetings and Events, Presidency, Poland, Media, After Hours, and Cultural Programme. The website was based France 3.29% on the Drupal Content Management System. UK 2.32% Users most frequently visited the following tabs: Political USA 1.79% News, Presidency Calendar, Visual Identity, Presidency Spain 1.19% Programme, Poland – Cities, and Online Transmission. Italy 1.13% Netherlands 0.98% Austria 0.82%

An integral part of the portal was the so-called Videoblog of the Presidency. Published on the blog were short 2- or 3-min long film accounts from political meetings, cultural and social events, and also assorted interviews (e.g. with the designers of the Presidency). The most popular materials from this section are listed in the table below.

92 Table 15. The most popular materials on Statistics in the 4th quarter 2011 the Videoblog of the Presidency 1 Unique users 560,692 2 Visits 774,523 No . of Title page 3 Page views 1,276,786 views 4 Average time spent on the site 00:01:42 ‘Warsaw Talking: highlights from the 5 Countries/territories 161 26,322 concert’ ‘Polish Presidency – 6 months in 120 se- 11,000 conds (2 versions)’ 2.5.6.4. Social media

‘Meetings in Sopot’ 6,200 The key tool in online communication of the Polish ‘Every passer-by in Moscow’ 5,000 Presidency was social media channels. Using them, we were able to talk directly to internet users, give them ‘Prezydencja na półmetku (The Polish Presi- 4,500 information about the events related to the Presidency, dency at halfway)’ and also monitor the positive and negative assessment ‘Multimedia fountain show’ 3,800 of the activity of the Polish Presidency. ‘Cuisine PL (Poland with no schnitzel!)’ 3,700 Facebook ‘Dizajnerskie gadżety prezydencji (Designer 3,600 Presidency Gadgets)’ A Facebook profile started in December 2009. ‘The fleet of the Polish Presidency (Last call)’ 3,500 By December 2011, it had gained 30,500 ‘likes’. Besides ‘Chopin in Europe’ 3,000 day-to-day communication, the front page featured a number of applications that provided surfers with knowledge of the Polish Presidency in an amusing man- The portal operated in four language versions – Polish, ner. The applications included the planning of the EU English, French, and German. It was also adjusted to budget, a quiz on the Polish Presidency, and also the de- the needs of the visually impaired, as it featured a special sign of the poster of the Polish Presidency. The promotion application allowing the articles to be read aloud. on the Facebook profile was supported by a context cam- Throughout the portal’s operation, a total of 693 articles paign. The number of fans of the profile of the Presidency were published, of which 508 were in the News tab, 78 on Facebook is presented in Graph 2. in Cultural Programme, 23 in Media, and 84 in the After Hours section. The articles on the portal and the films pub- Graph 2. Number of Presidency profile fans lished on the video blog were promoted with the Google at facebook.com Adwords and Promoted Videos advertising tools.

35000 www .culture .pl 30000 In addition, the official website of the Polish and foreign 25000 cultural programme of the Presidency was launched at www.culture.pl (more information about the portal can 20000 be found in subchapter 2.5.12). The statistics of this website in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2011 are presented in 15000 the table below. 10000

Table 16. Statistics of the website www.culture.pl 5000

0 Statistics in the 3rd quarter 2011 Dec-09gru-09 Mar-10mar-10 Jun-10cze-10 Sept-10wrz-10 Dec-10gru-10 Mar-11mar-11 Jun-11cze-11 Sept-11wrz-11 Dec-11gru-11 1 Unique users 168,656 2 Visits 243,171 3 Page views 634,930 4 Average time spent on the site 00:03:15 5 Countries/territories 156

93 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

The ten countries with the largest number of fans The number of fans of the Presidency’s profile on nk.pl of the Polish Presidency profile are presented in the table is presented in Graph 3. below. Graph 3. Number of fans of the Presidency’s Table 17. Countries with the largest numbers profile onLiczba nk.pl fanów na nk.pl of fans of the Polish Presidency profile 25000

Country No . of fans 20000 Poland 25,822

Belgium 636 15000 UK 534 Germany 499 10000 USA 320 5000 France 307

Italy 246 0 Hungary 189 cze-11Dec-09 Jul-11 lip-11 Aug-11 sie-11 Sept-11wrz-11 pa Oct-11ź-11 Nov-11lis-11 gru-11 Dec-11 Spain 155 Netherlands 122 Other channels

The age profile of the fans of the Polish Presidency is The Polish Presidency ran two official channels on presented in the table below. Twitter. The first was devoted to information about political events, and was run by the Spokesperson Table 18. Age of fans of the Polish Presidency of the Presidency (1700 followers). The other profile was of a social and cultural type, and informed of the events addressed to people, and also presented the Presidency Age % of fans of the Council of the European Union behind the scenes 13-17 9.5% (500 followers). The Presidency also had its profiles on blip.pl and goldenline.pl. 18-24 34% 25-34 38% 35-44 9.9% 2 .5 .6 .5 . Special projects 45-54 4% Campaign for 1 July 2011 55 + 4.6% The Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the three leading Polish portals, Google Polska, Onet.pl, and Nk.pl Youtube directly to run a joint campaign on the occasion of the inauguration of the Polish Presidency. As a result, on 1 July, Published on the official YouTube channel Nk.pl and Onet.pl included the logo of the Presidency on of the Presidency were all film materials produced for their start-up pages, and Google Polska published a spe- the needs of the Polish Presidency: ads, video blog mate- cial doodle, designed in an art competition for children (in rials, opinion polls, interviews, and animations. The total which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a partner). This number of page views of the published films amounted joint gesture in the virtual space symbolised the solidarity to 380,000. of Poles during the Presidency and provided a joint civic celebration of this historic event. Nk.pl

The official profile of the Polish Presidency at nk.pl was launched towards the end of June 2011. During the six months, the number of fans exceeded 21,000. The users of the service left more than 13,500 comments altogether.

94 Presidency postage and coins

On the power of an agreement on collaboration concluded between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Bank of Poland, and on the power of agreements on collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish Post, the following were issued: on 1 July 2011: » 4000 collectable gold coins with the logo of the Polish Presidency » 50,000 collectable silver coins with the logo of the Polish Presidency » 800,000 2-zloty coins for circulation with the logo Viral movies of Polish Presidency, and on 30 June 2011: Three viral movies were produced to show in an amus- » 500,000 postage stamps with the logo of the Polish ing style the practical results of the Presidency. The num- Presidency ber of page views of the films on the Presidency YouTube » 50,000 postcards with the logo of the Polish Channel exceeded 50,000. Presidency.

Animated film

The premiere screening of the animated film promoting the Polish Presidency by Tomasz Bagiński was held on 27 June 2011. The film was prepared in 2D and 3D Photocodes versions in four lengths: 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, and 180 seconds. On the day of the inauguration Special photocodes (QR codes) were designed for of the Presidency, the film was screened in public transport the needs of the 1700 Events at Your Fingertips campaign, and municipal spaces throughout Poland. Moreover, dur- promoting the cultural programme of the Presidency. ing the Polish Presidency the film was repeatedly aired on Once scanned, they guided smartphones to information TV, and presented online, in the Multikino cinema chain, about current events of the Polish Presidency. Posters and in public places, during official events of the Polish with the codes on were distributed among institutions Presidency of the EU Council, and also at projects run by of higher education, Regional European Information Polish missions. Also, the film was presented at film and Centres, the Europe Direct network, libraries, and in- music festivals in Poland and abroad and during mass stitutions. Moreover, PKP Intercity, an official partner events. of the campaign, distributed 15,000 leaflets with QR codes in their trains connecting academic cities.

95 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

‘Dobrodošli’ Campaign The patronage of the Polish Presidency extended over projects whose implementation was envisaged To commemorate the signing of the EU Accession Treaty for the second half of 2011, which were related to by Croatia on 9 December 2011, the Polish Presidency the priorities of the Polish Presidency and contributed to prepared a welcome film entitled ‘Dobrodošli’. It consist- the promotion of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council ed of greetings sent by web users recorded on the streets in 2011 among Polish and foreign populations. The events of Polish cities. The film proved a hit on the Croatian involved local communities for the sake of the Polish Internet, and boasted 50,000 page views within just Presidency, and not only enriched its cultural programme the first 48 hours (80,000 as of the end of January 2012). It and artistic value but also provided an opportunity for was also published by all the leading Croatian web portals Poland and the Polish people to co-decide on the direc- and aired on Croatian national television. tions and the form of the process of European integration. A significant factor taken into account during the assessment of projects was their contribution to the achievement of goals and priorities of the Polish Presidency, and presentation of opportunities and capacity resulting from European integration to citizens. Altogether, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received 465 applications for the patronage of the Polish Presidency, of which 286 were adjudicated favourably based on Decision No. 4 of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Government Administration Bodies and for the Republic of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union of 14 December 2009 concerning In response to the Polish film ‘Dobrodošli’, Croatians the definition of guidelines for award of the patronage created their own – ‘Zahvala Polsko’. Published online of Polish Presidency and the Council of the European on 23 December 2011, the film features students, resi- Union in 2011. These were projects of an educational, dents of Zagreb, and also the Minister of Foreign Affairs cultural, academic and scientific, civic, and sporting na- of Croatia, Vesna Pusić. ture for which there was a dominant conviction that they ‘Dobrodošli’ was very well received in Croatia, and would actively favour the promotion and achievement the government of the country decided to use it for of goals and priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU the campaign before the accession referendum. The Polish Council. The patronage of the Presidency extended over Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided a copy of the film that a range of events, including exhibitions, stage produc- was later aired on national and local TV in Croatia. tions, conferences, seminars, fairs, forums, festivals, competitions, and marathons and sporting tournaments. The jury analysed 13 foreign applications (from Belgium, 2.5.7. Patronages of the Polish Presidency 2011 the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and France). They were all assessed favourably. Above all, the patronage of the Polish Presidency From 1 December 2009 to 15 April 2011, it was possible could not be extended to projects that were conducted to apply for the official patronage of the Polish Presidency. on dates other than the period from July to December Applications could be made by public and commercial en- 2011. Moreover, those that were political, religious, or tities, civic organisations, local and regional authorities, commercial in nature or of a typically local nature and and other institutions. The opportunity was available to made no reference to the idea of European Community both Polish and foreign institutions. The events organised or the Polish Presidency of the EU Council were also by ministries, central institutions, and non-governmental ineligible. organisations that were organised with the support Among the regions where most projects covered of the Office of the Committee for European Integration by the patronage of the Polish Presidency were con- and/or Ministry of Foreign Affairs grants were excluded ducted, first came Mazovia (83 applications submitted, from applying for patronage. of which 62 were accepted). The fewest events covered Providing a project with patronage entailed no fi- by the patronage were held in the following regions: nancial support from the office providing services to Opolskie, Warmian-Masurian, and Świętokrzyskie – two the Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation in each. The chart below presents the number of events of Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency covered by the Presidency Patronage in all the regions of the Council of the EU. of Poland.

96 Graph 4. Number of events covered by July 2009. During the meeti ng organised by the Offi ce the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the Committ ee for European Integrati on, forms of cooperati on were proposed and permanent chan- West Pomeranian Voivodeship nels of communicati on were fi xed. In the second half Greater Poland Voivodeship of 2009, two expert opinions concerning collaborati on Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship with the non-governmental sector on informati on about Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship the Presidency were performed on the commission Silesian Voivodeship of the Offi ce of the Committ ee for European Integrati on: Pomeranian Voivodeship » ‘Aktywność polskich organizacji pozarządowych Podlaskie Voivodeship na szczeblu europejskim’ [Acti vity of Polish non- Podkarpackie Voivodeship governmental organisati ons at European level] by Opolskie Voivodeship DemosEuropa; Mazovia Voivodeship » ‘Opracowanie koncepcji stałej współpracy Małopolskie Voivodeship Łódź Voivodeship pomiędzy administracją rządową a trzecim Lubuskie Voivodeship sektorem w Polsce w zakresie informowania Lublin Voivodeship społeczeństwa o polskim przewodnictwie w Radzie Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship UE’ [Draft ing the concept of permanent collabora- Lower Silesia Voivodeship ti on between governmental administrati on and the third sector in Poland in the scope of informing the society about the Polish Presidency of the EU 2.5.8. Educati on, informati on, dialogue with Council] by the Insti tute of Public Aff airs. Organised in December 2009 was a nati onal confer- schools and non-governmental ence16 on the questi ons of the Polish Presidency of the EU organisati ons in Poland Council, with the parti cipati on of approximately 150 representati ves of Polish NGOs. On 27 December 2010, the competi ti on for non-govern- At the stage of preparati ons for the Presidency, it was mental organisati ons for the implementati on of projects recognised in the document enti tled ‘Wytyczne dot. devoted to the Polish Presidency in the whole territory działań komunikacyjnych [Guidelines concerning com- of Poland was decided. Awarded were 16 grants to a total municati on acti vity] that educati onal and informati on’ amount of PLN 1,090,000. The projects were conducted acti vity are necessary for increasing the level of aware- from January to July 2011. ness and knowledge among the community concerning From January 2011 to March 2012, the Ministry issues related to the Presidency and the EU. This is why of Foreign Aff airs in collaborati on with Poland’s largest a decision was made to enter a broad range of social non-governmental organisati on portal (www.ngo.pl) ran dialogue, which covered local and regional authoriti es, a service on the Polish Presidency for third sector circles. non-governmental organisati ons, educati onal faciliti es, This provided interested NGOs with an exchange of infor- and individual citi zens. The goal of the informati on acti vi- mati on concerning the Presidency and also off ered them ti es was to initi ate collaborati on with target groups and an opportunity to present their own acti ons. More than acquire their support, understanding, and involvement. 20,000 entries were recorded, and the newslett er was The premises for the acti viti es embarked on, which are sent to more than 500 recipients. described in detail further in the chapter, included: » multi stage acti viti es building up suspense and end- ing in fi nals just before or during the Presidency; » involvement of selected target groups and informing other ones; » preparati on of unorthodox acti viti es, with a pinch of salt and a touch of self-mockery, yet without reinforcing stereotypes.

2.5.8.1. Collaboration with non-governmental organisations

Collaborati on with the Polish NGO community in the scope of the Polish Presidency was initi ated in 16 htt p://www.konferencjango.pl

97 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-financed an NGO con- of other countries (including Ukraine, Russia, Israel, ference accompanying the Eastern Partnership Summit. Belgium and the countries of the Eastern Partnership and The organiser of the conference, held on 29 September Western Balkans). Their number included study visits 2011, was the Polish Institute for International Affairs of journalists, conferences, seminars and workshops, (PISM). The event attracted 200 representatives of Polish youth exchanges, collaboration of institutions of higher and foreign non-governmental organisations. education and academic centres, and publications. The Regional European Information Centres network was actively involved in the Presidency. This allowed approximately 1800 projects to be conducted, including: 2.5.8.3. Education, projects involving young people » over 600 European lessons devoted to the Polish and teachers Presidency » more than 330 meetings and lectures for vari- In September 2010, a tab for young people opened ous groups of recipients concerning the Polish on the Presidency website – www.prezydencjaue.gov.pl. Presidency The tab contained information about competitions and » approximately 150 information stands promot- events designed for the young. Beginning in July 2011, ing the Polish Presidency during various events, the tab became part of the official website of the Polish including conferences, open days, education fairs, Presidency. One hundred days before the inauguration lectures of the Presidency, on 23 March 2011, a multimedia debate » 110 competitions on subjects related to the Polish organised in collaboration with the European Commission Presidency was held at the University of Warsaw. The guest » 148 articles in the regional and local press concern- of the debate was the Plenipotentiary – Minister Mikołaj ing the Polish Presidency Dowgielewicz, who answered the questions of students » more than 20 training sessions and workshops from academic centres from all over Poland. The main concerning the Polish Presidency subjects addressed at the conference were the priori- » approximately 40 local radio/TV programmes re- ties of the Polish Presidency and the challenges facing it. lated to the Polish Presidency The debate was followed by a spontaneous flashmob » more than 30 conferences and seminars devoted marking 100 days to the event with the participation to the Polish Presidency of young people, organised on Krakowskie Przedmieście » training for the 35 trainers of the Regional European Street. Information Centres. January 2011 saw adjudication in a competition for students of art schools, with the motto being ‘Polish Presidency for Europe’. Twenty-four artistic schools 2.5.8.2. Competition for non-governmental provided 239 works, of which 46 received awards. They organisations – promotion of the Presidency provided the pool for the exhibitions of posters presented during the occasional events related to the Polish In April 2011, adjudication took place in the annual Presidency in Warsaw, Brussels, and Luxembourg. competition of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski assumed the patron- to non-governmental organisations, research institutes age over the exhibition in the building of the European and public and non-public institutions of higher educa- Commission in Brussels. tion, entitled ‘Promoting Knowledge of Poland – 2011’. On the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, For the Presidency in 2011, the priorities of the com- a comic book by Przemysław Truściński and Grzegorz petition included actions concerning public diplomacy Janusz promoting the Polish Presidency was published. and pertaining to the Polish Presidency of the Council Designed for Polish and European readers aged from 15 to of the European Union. Moreover, the projects con- 60, it was published in Polish (14,000 copies) and English cerning collaboration with the countries of the Eastern (6000 copies) and was also available online in Polish, Partnership as well as reinforcement of Polish-Russian English, German, French, and Russian. The comic book and Polish-Jewish relations were treated as priorities. was distributed during the meetings of the Presidency, Excluded from the competition were projects consisting events of the cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of one-off artistic events. Preferential treatment was in Poland, and abroad by the network of the Ministry given to initiatives undertaken in collaboration with part- of Foreign Affairs and the network of Regional European ners, including foreign ones. Information Centres. The budget of the competition amounted to PLN 4 million. The Competition Jury awarded several dozen projects that were conducted in Poland and a number

98 Upper Secondary School in Warsaw, where on 4 November 2011 he conducted ‘a European lesson’. Similar visits to secondary schools during the Polish Presidency were also held by some members of the Committ ee for European Aff airs. The European ‘Back to School’ initi ati ve was held for the fi rst ti me in 2007 as an initi ati ve of the European Commission and the German government to add to the celebrati on of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. Since that ti me, ‘Back to School’ has been organised in the Member States holding the presidency of the EU Council. From December 2011 to the end of March 2012, one- day training sessions (two in each region) for 960 teach- Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs announced ers were organised throughout Poland. The subjects were an essay competi ti on for students of insti tuti ons of higher related to the Polish Presidency of the EU Council and educati on in Poland. Out of the 70 works from all over the communicati on prioriti es concerning the operati on the country, the Competi ti on Jury (the Ministry of Foreign of the European Union. Aff airs, the European Parliament Informati on Offi ce, and The following took place in 2011 as part of the current the European Commission Representati on in Poland) and acti vity of the European Informati on Centre reporti ng to two independent experts in European studies selected 30 the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs: winners, who were awarded a visit to the headquarters » 7 open lectures devoted to the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in Brussels to play a strategy game. » 94 European lessons concerning the subjects Every parti cipant played the role of a Minister of Foreign of the Presidency, during which a multi media pres- Aff airs of one of EU Member States, to debate the priori- entati on on the Presidency was presented ti es of the Polish Presidency. The game took place on 15 » two special meeti ngs as part of the EU for Seniors December 2011 at the headquarters of the EU Council. series devoted to the Presidency. In October 2011, the parti cipants of a competi ti on for The European Informati on Centre of the Ministry a lesson plan about Europe designed for teachers of lower of Foreign Aff airs organised seven informati on stands and upper secondary schools in Poland were presented presenti ng, among other things, informati on and promo- with awards and disti ncti ons. Submitt ed were 99 lesson ti onal materials related to the Presidency, where consulta- plans for history, civic educati on, Polish language, English, ti ons were provided. The following informati on materials, geography, physical educati on, mathemati cs, cultural referring to the Presidency, were designed by the Ministry educati on, and also extracurricular acti viti es, including of Foreign Aff airs for the needs of educati onal acti viti es: acti viti es in school European clubs. The winning plans » ‘Rada Unii Europejskiej’ / ‘Council of the European were made available online and published on CDs that Union’ – booklet concerning the operati on were delivered to Regional European Informati on Centres of the EU Council; 20,000 copies to be presented during training for teachers. » ‘Prezydencja w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ / The Presidency was the leading theme of another round ‘Presidency of the Council of the European Union’ of the ‘My School in the European Union – Back to School’ – a booklet by Professor Jan Barcz designed for programme, which was launched in September 2011. people interested in the subject of the Polish The task of the young people parti cipati ng in the pro- Presidency; 30,000 copies gramme was to organise discussions, debates, exhibiti ons, » ‘To i owo o Unii Europejskiej’ / ‘This and that competi ti ons and quizzes, and to prepare school newslet- about the European Union’ – book presenti ng ters concerning subjects related to voluntary service and the history, insti tuti ons, and law of the European the Polish Presidency. The task of the schools that quali- Union, designed for school pupils and teachers; fi ed for the nati onal stage of the competi ti on will be to 10,000 copies invite a Polish offi cer from the European Commission or » ‘Prezydencja bez prezydenta’ / ‘Presidency with- a member of the European Parliament and to send an ac- out a President’ – a booklet for school pupils and count from the event to the jury. The main award will be teachers; 20,000 copies. a study visit to European insti tuti ons in Brussels. The fi nal verdict will be made known in May 2012. As part of the ‘Back to School’ programme, the Plenipotenti ary visited the Mikołaj Rej Comprehensive

99 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

For the Presidency the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took the initiative to expand the motto of a competition- or ganised by Warsaw City Council and Society of Friends of Warsaw – Floral and Green Warsaw 2011 – by adding the Floral Presidency component. Residents of Warsaw were encouraged to decorate their balconies and gardens and also public buildings, residential settlements, -back yards, courtyards, quadrangles, squares, restaurant and café gardens, and windows of shops and institutions with floral compositions in the colours of Poland and the EU. The 28 Warsaw winners received awards for their beautiful yellow-and-blue and white-and-red floral compositions. Also in collaboration with the Warsaw City Council, which launched a multimedia fountain as part of a car park revival project in Podzamcze, multimedia shows took place, displayed on city fountains, focusing on European subjects. On 2 July 2011, the day of the project’s inauguration, an animated film promoting the Polish Presidency 2.5.8.4. Projects conducted in the city space was screened. Altogether, eight shows focusing on European subjects were presented, with each attracting Arranged on 2 July 2011 in Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square) from 5000 to 10,000 people. in Warsaw was a carpet of 14,000 flowers presenting Based on a contract between the Ministry of Foreign the logo of the Polish Presidency. Participating in the visual Affairs and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, 37 sporting opening were the Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz- events organised throughout the country were covered Waltz and the Plenipotentiary – Secretary of State at by the patronage of the Polish Presidency. The number the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mikołaj Dowgielewicz. of participants in each of them ranged from over 10,000 After the completion of the project, the flowers were people to several times that number. Participants received presented to passers-by. It is estimated that the carpet in small gifts with the logo of the Polish Presidency: cotton the Castle Square in Warsaw was seen live by over 10,000 bags, bracelets, key rings, and ballpoint pens. people. Its arrangement was reported live by TV and radio From 15 to 30 November 2011, to commemorate broadcasters and websites. Poland’s Foreign Service Day, the open-air exhibition ‘Poland’s Road to the Presidency’ was made available to visitors in Warsaw’s Castle Square (Plac Zamkowy). It was designed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the KARTA (CHARTER) centre and consisted of 24 display boards presenting the transformations that took place in Poland from 1956 to the inauguration of the Polish Presidency. The boards had Polish and English captions, and an electronic version of the exhibition was delivered to the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Poland.

100 From 1 July to the end of 2011, a large-format banner The qualitative study, providing supplementation to (17 x 42 m), with the logo of the Presidency was fixed the quantitative studies, was conducted in collaboration to the wall of the building of the Ministry of Foreign with the Centre for Public Opinion Research TNS OBOP. Affairs at Al. Szucha 21 (to the façade in ul. Litewska), The project included three waves of the qualitative and the front windows of the building featured the same study (in December 2010, and in June and November logo made of OWV film. A similar banner was placed 2011), with each of them held in three different cities at the Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) building at of Poland. The study used the technique of focus group Al. Jerozolimskie 7 in the centre of Warsaw. interviews based on interviewing a small group of participants of the study with the participation of amod- erator, who focused the discussion on set questions. 2.5.8.5. Projects for the media The qualitative study focused primarily on learning the actual level of knowledge of the respondents con- From 1 July to 31 December 2011, the European cerning the Presidency of the EU Council, their interest in Information Centre played the role of the press centre the subject, the presence of the subject in the media, and of the Polish Presidency. In this period, 24 press brief- the evaluation of the communication, logo and the official ings took place at the Centre. The task was implemented Presidency website. in collaboration with the Office of the Spokesperson The results of public opinion studies made it possible of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project required to sum up the information activity concerning the Polish changes in the arrangement and furnishing of the Centre. Presidency and, first of all, proved their efficiency. On 28 December 2011 ‘Wprost’ weekly published an To support the claim, results of quantitative analysis editorial supplement devoted to the Polish Presidency concerning the knowledge of Poles concerning the dates with materials related mostly to the main achievements of the Polish Presidency can be quoted. In December and the conclusion of the Presidency in numbers. The sup- 2009,17 when the question about the dates of the Polish plement was published in 172,000 copies. Presidency was asked, fewer than one in five respond- Training for the media was one of the four mod- ing Poles (17%) were capable of stating the correct date ules of training sessions conducted for various groups of Poland assuming the Presidency of the EU Council. of disseminators of information concerning the Polish While the function was held by Poland, more than three Presidency. The thematic range of training sessions and in every five respondents (63%) knew in December 201118 the course book that accompanied them included infor- that the Presidency of the EU Council was held by Poland mation concerning the Lisbon Treaty, the decision-making in the second half of 2011. process in the EU, and the presidency of the EU Council. Moreover, the (full-scale) qualitative study19 proved that The training was attended by 737 participants, including less than a month (second wave) before the date of inau- 597 representatives of non-governmental organisations guration of the Polish Presidency, members of the focus and 140 representatives of the media. groups had specific knowledge concerning the Presidency of the EU Council, while still in December 2010 (first wave) the knowledge of focus group members of the sub- 2.5.8.6. Public opinion surveys ject was low. The results of quantitative studies20 conducted towards For the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European the end of the Polish Presidency proved that more than Union, the European Information Department (EID) 3/5 of Polish respondents (63%) admitted that they found of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs monitored public opinion their knowledge of facts concerning the Polish Presidency in the area through qualitative and quantitative studies. of the EU Council sufficient. Slightly more than one in Quantitative studies in the omnibus formula were three respondents (34%) believed themselves to be conducted every two months in collaboration with underinformed. the GfK Polonia Institute for Market and Public Opinion The results of public opinion surveys also provided in- Research on a representative sample of approximately formation about the Poles’ attitude to the fact of Poland 1000 Poles aged 15+. The quantitative studies were used holding the Presidency of the EU Council. for the monitoring of the level of information of the Polish people about the principles, organisation, and tasks 17 GfK Polonia on the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 2009. of the Presidency, the reception of the information cam- 18 GfK Polonia on the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, paign, and attitudes to the fact that the country was hold- December 2011. ing this function. The first studies concerning the Polish 19 Qualitative study by TNS OBOP, commissioned by the Ministry Presidency were conducted in December 2009, and of Foreign Affairs, December 2010 and June 2011. the last, wrapping up, in January 2012. 20 GfK Polonia on the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 2011.

101 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

The results of quantitative studies21 prove that The Ministry of Culture, entrusted with the task of coor- the vast majority of Polish respondents believed the Polish dinating the implementation of the programme, in 2009 Presidency to be very important. According to the study established the Programme Council for the Cultural conducted in October 2011, 71% of Polish respondents Setting of the 2011 Polish Presidency of the EU Council. admitted that the Presidency of Poland of the EU Council Its main task was to provide opinions and comments and was an important issue (including 14% who believed it to recommend projects and initiatives related to the Cultural be very important). Programme of the Polish EU Presidency. Members The (full-scale) qualitative study22 confirms the great of the council were directors of the most important insti- significance attributed to the fact of Poland’s Presidency tutions of culture: the Book Institute, Teatr Wielki – Polish of the Council of the European Union. During the discus- National Opera, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, sion in the groups, it was emphasised that holding this the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, the Polish function provides an opportunity to build a positive Film Institute (PISF), the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and image of the country abroad, strengthens the power the Royal Castle in Warsaw. of the Polish voice on the European stage, and provides an opportunity to work out within the EU some solutions that would be more beneficial to Poland or at least make 2.5.10. Polish Cultural Programme it possible to attract the attention of the EU to the ques- of the Polish EU Presidency 2011 tions that are important from the point of view of Poland. Detailed information concerning the studies and survey of public opinion is provided in Annex No. 8 to this report. Within Poland, the cultural programme was managed by the National Audiovisual Institute and coordinated by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. The motto, 2.5.9. Cultural programme and at the same time the main message of the Polish Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency 2011 was Art for Social Change. This slogan expresses the convic- The Presidency of the EU Council provided an exception that culture today is an integral element of the so- tional opportunity to shape a positive image of Poland, cial process. For that reason, the Programme aimed to primarily in the EU states, but also in a more extensive encourage the consumers and creators of art to embrace international forum. The European and world states that a creative attitude improving artistic and social awareness achieve good results in creation and promotion of their and embark on a critical reflection on culture and civilisa- own image usually put a premium on culture. An inter- tion. Following that premise, the Programme emphasised esting artistic programme involving Polish international the role of non-governmental organisations and grass- artists directly in the project of the Presidency provided roots culture initiatives, and also highlighted the subject a perfect opportunity for a meeting of European artists, of the Eastern Partnership. intellectuals, and non-governmental organisation activ- Projects were conducted in close collaboration with ists. This is why promotion of Poland through culture was local organisations, NGOs, and European partners. treated as a separate, major area of activity of the Polish Moreover, an extremely significant premise of the pro- Presidency. After an analysis of the cultural programmes gramme was its interdisciplinary character, reflected not of the previous presidencies, it was decided to create only in the inter-combination and mutual interpenetra- the Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency. tion of fields, but also in the development of new links Following the decision of the Minister of Culture between high and popular culture. In this context, and National Heritage of 5 September 2009 approved the Programme aimed at the activation of local communi- by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was decided that ties – both artists and people who in their everyday life the National Audiovisual Institute would be responsible remained out of touch with culture – and countering vari- for the preparation and implementation of the Polish ous forms of social discrimination and exclusion. Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency, while The Polish Cultural Programme of the Polish EU the task of preparation and implementation of the World Presidency was composed of projects deliberately carried Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency became out in the cities that hosted high-level meetings – Sopot, the task of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Wrocław, Cracow, Poznań, and Warsaw – and additionally in Lublin, Białystok, Katowice, and Krasnogruda.

21 GfK Polonia on the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, October 2011. 22 Qualitative study by TNS OBOP, commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, December 2010, June 2011, and November 2011.

102 2.5.10.1. Flagship projects carried out in Poland for the inaugurati on of the Polish Presidency. The concert was transmitt ed live by Polish Radio 2. Krasnogruda – European Agora (30 June) The Inaugurati on Day closed with the fi nal concert – WARSAW TALKING – held on Plac Defi lad, with Polish On the eve of the offi cial commencement of the Polish and foreign arti sts presenti ng the most popular works Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and of classical, fi lm, and pop music. Most of all, the audience at the same ti me on the 100th anniversary of the birth enjoyed the new English-language versions of Polish hits of Czesław Miłosz, eminent European philosophers, performed by internati onal stars. The concert was closed poets, and arti sts discussed community in diversity in by a fi reworks display set to Wojciech Kilar’s ‘Orawa’. the former family mansion of the poet in Krasnogruda. The TV transmission of the concert (on TVP 1) was seen by nearly 900,000 people. Performing on the four stages Warsaw – Inaugurati on of the Polish Presidency set up in Warsaw and in the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall of the EU Council (1 July) were more than 250 arti sts.

Held in the Teatr Wielki – Polish Nati onal Opera was the offi cial premiere of ‘King Roger’, an opera by Karol Szymanowski directed by David Pountney. The producti on was preceded by the offi cial secti on of the evening, with addresses delivered by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, and President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy. Also present at the event were the President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski and the First Lady, members of the government and parliament, representati ves of the diplomati c corps and Church authoriti es, and eminent fi gures from the world of politi cs and culture.

Sopot – Open Culture Spa (3-31 July)

As part of the Open Culture Spa project in Sopot, 16 interdisciplinary arti sti c projects took place. They were all grassroots local initi ati ves. The audience were invited to take a tour on an ARTbus – a municipal bus line transformed into an art gallery. Displayed en route were works by Tricity arti sts. Other events that were held in the series included the ‘Open Source Art’ (OSA) Festi val and the internati onal ‘More culture. WE ARE MORE!’ conference, organised in collaborati on with Culture Acti on Europe, Europe’s largest network of NGOs and insti tuti ons acti ve Musical concerts that went on for hours inspired by in the fi eld of culture. Parti cipati ng in the projects con- the culture of European nati onal and ethnic minoriti es ducted in Sopot were over 150 arti sts representi ng practi - (EUharmonia) and the interdisciplinary children’s stage cally every art form, and close to 5000 acti ve parti cipants. (EUgeniusz) from the District of Mariensztat began at noon. Similarly high popularity was enjoyed by the al- YES! Katowice – Temporary Cultural Acti on (TAKK!) ternati ve stage (TrzeciE Ucho) at the Copernicus Science and OFF Festi val (July – September) Centre and the old power plant in Powiśle. More traditi onal music lovers, meanwhile, were invited to spend TAKK! combined projects combining architecture, design, the night at Warsaw Philharmonic Hall and listen to and contemporary music. The arti sts carried out a number Symphony No. 3 by Paweł Mykietyn, composed especially of interventi ons within fi ve cycles: art, design, workshops, concerts, and lectures in the living ti ssue of the city. They

103 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

portrayed the variety of Silesia, and provoked people to ask – sensual and sculptural in its form – easy to remember questions and seek answers concerning stereotypes related and at the same time allowing the breakdown of a typical to Silesia. Also part of the framework of the Polish Cultural historical perception of a location. Programme was the 6th round of OFF Festival, the largest festival of alternative music in Central and Eastern Europe, which attracted nearly 50,000 participants. The Festival received the prestigious European Festival award for 2011 in the Best Medium-Sized Festival category.

Wrocław – European Culture Congress (8-11 September)

One of the main tasks of the Congress was to provide a space for discussion concerning the changing definition Białystok – Journey to the East (5 August - 30 September) of culture and scenarios for its development. The debates tackling the most pressing problems in contemporary Opened officially on 5 August 2011 at the Arsenał Gallery culture were accompanied by interdisciplinary artistic pro- in Białystok, ‘Journey to the East’ presented contempo- jects conducted as part of the Social and Cultural Festival. rary art from the countries of the Eastern Partnership. The programme of the Congress was based on four pillars: The curator of the exhibition invited nearly 50 artists from the meeting of the ministers of culture and audiovisual affairs Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, of EU states, meetings and discussions of leading European and Poland to participate in the project. The exhibition intellectuals, debates within the ‘A Soul for Europe’ initiative, was visited by over 300,000 people. It was also presented and artistic events. The Congress brought together theore- at Art Kyiv Contemporary and Cracow’s MOCAK. ticians and practitioners, maestros and alternative artists, representatives of the highest state authorities, European institutions and non-governmental organisations, and journalists, culture activists and organisers from Poland and abroad. The Congress consisted of a total of 13 debates and included the completion of 100 interdisciplinary projects, a characteristic feature of which was the problem approach to culture and interdisciplinary formulas. The programme, co-authored by 550 curators and artists, was filled with a plethora of exceptional artistic projects. Brian Eno prepared the multimedia project Future Perfect presented at the Wrocław Fountain, Mirosław Bałka a creative installation entitled ‘Wege zur Behandlung von Schmerzen’, and the unprecedented meetings of Krzysztof Penderecki Warsaw – Olafur Eliasson Pavilion with Jonny Greenwood and Aphex Twin resulted in (September-November) the world premieres of a range of compositions: Aphex Twin’s ‘Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima remix’ On 6 September 2011, the official unveiling of an instal- and ‘Polymorphia Reloaded’, and Jonny Greenwood’s lation by the Danish artist Olafur Eliasson took place in ‘48 Responses to Polymorphia’. Warsaw at the point where Krakowskie Przedmieście and Karowa streets meet. The construction, going by the name of ‘Your Reality Machine’, became a spatial sign

104 devoted to the analyses of transformations in Russian theatre and that of the former Soviet republics (more than 20,000 spectators) and a special round of ‘The Oldest Songs of Europe Tradition and Avant-Garde Festival’ (nearly 3000 spectators).

Cracow – IETM Meeting / Cracow Theatrical Reminiscences / Unsound Festival (October)

The Cracow events of the Programme included, held for the first time in Poland, the congress of the ‘International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts’, Europe’s largest organisation gathering institutions operating in the field of performing arts. Nearly 400 congress participants, professionals representing Polish and foreign institutions of culture, participated in the productions of Cracow Theatre Reminiscences. Also held in Cracow was the first congress opening the operation of the ‘East European Performing Arts Platform’ (EEPAP), an international platform for exchange between artists and curators of performing arts from Central and Eastern Europe. The third event comprising the Programme of the Presidency was the 9th Unsound Festival with progressive music and related visual arts.

Poznań – Poznań Baroque Early Music Festival / Old Music – New Dance (November) Approximately 15,000 people were registered in the accreditation system of the Congress. Additionally, entry A large proportion of the Poznań Baroque Festival is permits were collected by 5000 people, and the total based on the idea of collaboration between young artists participation in Congress events was verging on 200,000 and the personalities established in the realm of early participants. Involved in its organisation were nearly music. A significant premise of the Festival was the con- 100 non-governmental organisations from Poland and struction of deep and long-lasting relationships between Europe, and more than 550 volunteers. artists from Poland and other countries in the unique field of early music. The programme enjoyed a very strong ed- Lublin – Mindware. Technologies of Dialogue / ucational aspect, not only due to the enrolment of young The Oldest Songs of Europe Tradition and Avant-Garde / Polish musicians to the Generation Baroque formation, Theatre Confrontations Festival (September-October) but also thanks to free access to the general public to all the concerts. Altogether, 10,000 people listened to The programme conducted in Lublin was composed the concerts. of joint projects by artists, animators, and non-gov- The overarching goal in the creation of ‘Old Music ernmental organisations representing local institu- – New Dance’ was turning early music into inspiration for tions and partners from Lviv, Vilnius, Minsk, Kyiv, and the latest pursuits in modern choreography. A creative Tbilisi. Collaboration was to a large extent based on combination of what would seem like two distant fields artistic changes, and its main subject was considera- and aesthetics resulted in three dance premieres super- tions concerning the borders of Europe. The programme vised by artists from Cyprus, Poland, and Denmark. of ‘Mindware. Technologies of Dialogue’ was composed Besides the special projects described above, the Cultural of three parts: residencies, public presentation of artistic Programme of the Polish EU Presidency included around works, and the theoretical part covering lectures, meet- 60 of the most important Polish festivals and over 60 projects ings, and discussions with the participation of artists and recommended by the Programme Council for the Cultural experts and devoted to the artistic reflection concern- Setting of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. ing community communication within the city space. Also included in the Lublin part of the Polish Cultural Programme were the 16th Theatre Confrontations Festival

105 Report 2.5. Promotion, information, culture

2.5.11. World Cultural Programme 10 languages, delivered by stars of world film and theatre of the Polish Presidency 2011 stages (Stephen Fry, Toru Watanabe, Barbara Nüsse, Tang Guoqiang, Sergey Yursky, José Luis Gómez, and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), and writers and poets (Serhiy Zhadan, The World Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Taras Prohasko, Andrei Khadanovich, Benno Barnard). Presidency 2011 covered over 400 events organised in The audiobooks were supplements to daily newspapers 10 world capitals: Brussels, Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, (‘El País’), magazines (‘Magazine Littéraire’, ‘The Times Moscow, Kyiv, Minsk, Tokyo, and Beijing. The programme Literary Supplement’, ‘Ukrainskyi Tyzhden’, ‘Inostrannaya was run by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in collaboration Literatura’, ‘Dialog’, ‘Krytyka’, ‘Gendaishi-techo’, and with the Polish foreign missions reporting to the Ministry ‘Poetry’), and volumes of poetry ‘Czeslaw Milosz – of Foreign Affairs, including Polish Institutes, foreign Gedichten’s’ (the Netherlands). The audiobooks reached partners, and Polish institutions of culture. An impor- nearly 500,000 recipients. Poems in all the language ver- tant part of the programme was the projects selected sions are available in mp3 format from the www.culture.pl through the Polish Presidency 2011 – the Promesa pro- website and the websites of Polish Institutes and the em- gramme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. bassies of the 10 priority capitals. Besides the above, The World Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency the audiobooks were also presented during the events conducted in 10 priority capital cities was complemented carried out by the Polish Institutes as part of Miłosz Year. by projects selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Karol Szymanowski, one of the most eminent Polish through an internal competition for the remaining Polish composers, was another icon of the Polish Presidency. foreign missions. The staging of his opera ‘King Roger’ directed by David Pountney at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw provided the official inauguration 2.5.11.1. The most important events taking of the Presidency. Concert and chamber performances place abroad of the composer’s works resounded in the concert halls of Brussels (La Monnaie, Palais des Beaux-Arts), The core of the Programme, following the motto Berlin (Berliner Philharmonie), Minsk (Belarusian ‘I, Culture. Made in the EU. Powered by Poland’, con- National Philharmonic), Kyiv (Taras Shevchenko National sisted of six pillars, which included icons of contemporary Philharmonic and National Opera of Ukraine), London Polish culture. The prose works of Stanisław Lem inspired (Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall), Madrid (Teatro Real), the open-air Planeta Lem production by the Biuro Podróży Paris (Théâtre de Châtelet, Salle Pleyel), Warsaw (Warsaw Theatre. It premiered on 1 July 2011 at the ‘Watch This Philharmonic), Beijing (Central Conservatory of Music in Space’ festival held at the National Theatre in London. Beijing), and Tokyo (Asahi Concert Hall). The concerts at- The subsequent performances visited Brussels, Berlin, tracted an audience of 45,000 people. Paris, Madrid, Kyiv, Minsk, and Moscow. The performance Guide to the Poles is a series of documentary was seen by 10,500 spectators. Readers received a comic films (‘Beats of Freedom’, ‘Political Dress’, ‘Toys’, ‘Art book based on two tales from the famous ‘Bajki robotów’ of Freedom’, ‘Art of Disappearing’) that take viewers for (‘Mortal Engines’), drawn by Andrzej Klimowski and a documentary journey to the source of the phenomenon Danuta Szejbal. of contemporary Polish freedom and creativity. The films were designed to show Poles and their achievements to the world in an attractive and at the same time surprising manner. The films were presented among others during festivals in Minsk, Tokyo, Madrid, and Paris. So far, more than 10,000 people have watched them. I, CULTURE Puzzle is an interactive multimedia project conducted in the public space of 12 capital cities (Berlin, Brussels, Kyiv, Copenhagen, London, Madrid, Minsk, Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, and Warsaw), whose residents jointly sewed a gigantic puzzle made of 12 squares with local patterns applied. Pieced together, the parts of the jigsaw puzzle read I, CULTURE. An important part of the project was the studies and the attempt to answer The Czesław Miłosz-Audiobook project came about the question about the role of craft in today’s world and in collaboration with Polish Institutes and Polish - diplo contemporary culture. Moreover, I, Culture Puzzle played matic missions. Selected poems by Miłosz resounded in a major community role. The communities initiated by

106 volunteers and initiatives of artistic campaigns in the pub- Besides the flagship projects, the programme also in- lic spaces of cities began to take shape around the project. cluded showings of the most interesting productions and It became the summary of an international and intercul- films, concerts of classical and contemporary music, and tural initiative of the Polish Presidency promoting Poland’s exhibitions and projects conducted in the public space. greatest national fortes, including creativity, stalwartness, Many of the projects prepared especially for the Polish openness, and solidarity. The campaign, organised by Presidency gained the vast recognition of spectators and the artist Monika Jakubiak, attracted the participation critics, notably the exhibition ‘The Power of Fantasy’. of over 12,000 people and 240 volunteers. Its course ‘Modern and Contemporary Art from Poland’ at BOZAR could be followed on the Internet. in Brussels, considered event of the year by ‘The Financial Times’, the exhibition entitled ‘Poland – Germany. 1000 Years of Art and History’ at Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin, the exhibition entitled ‘Golden Age of the Polish Republic’ presented at the Royal Palace in Madrid, and exhibitions by Alina Szapocznikow (WIELS, Brussels), and Wilhelm Sasnal (Whitechapel, London). The Polish projects were presented at famous venues recognised by foreign audiences, e.g. BOZAR (Brussels), Palacio Real, Teatro Real (Madrid), Royal Festival Hall, Barbican (London), Pid Inn Club, Ahashi Concert Hall (Tokyo), Beijing Conservatory, national philharmonic halls (Kyiv, Minsk), Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, and Meyerhold Centre (Moscow). In turn, the interdisciplinary and public space projects presented in central locations of cities and on the underground made it possible to I, CULTURE Orchestra, is the first initiative of this type, reach broad audiences. established as part of the Eastern Partnership. It is com- Parallel to the activities conducted by the Adam posed of 110 young musicians from Poland, Armenia, Mickiewicz Institute and Polish Institutes and embassies Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. in the 10 appointed capitals, the Cultural Programme It played its first concerts in Gdańsk, the city of Solidarity, of the Presidency was carried out on all continents by and Stockholm. Honorary patronage over its autumn tour the remaining missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. was assumed by the President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski. Conducted by Sir Neville Marriner and Paweł Kotla, the orchestra played at the National 2 .5 .11 .2 . The official website Philharmonic Hall in Kyiv, Berliner Philharmonie, of the Cultural Programme of the Presidency Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, Royal Festival Hall in London, Teatro Real in Madrid, and the Warsaw For the duration of the Presidency, theCulture .pl portal Philharmonic Hall. The programme of every concert in- was transformed into the official website of the Polish and cluded works by Karol Szymanowski, which were listened World Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency. to by an audience of 10,000. Here one could find not only announcements of current events, but also richly illustrated accounts, providing one of the greatest strengths of the website. Its viewing statistics rose constantly, and from July to December grew by a factor of six. Altogether, at that time it was visited by nearly one million users from all over the world. The user- friendly Hot Culture application for iPads and iPhones was launched. The culture.pl portal was complemented by the online services of the Polish Cultural Programme (uwaganakulture.pl), a special site dedicated to the European Culture Congress (culturecongress.eu) and the websites of the Programme’s chief projects, including orchestra.iam.pl, and przewodnikdopolakow.pl.

107 Report 2.5. Promoti on, informati on, culture

2.5.12. Public diplomacy and the conference on the Multi annual Financial Framework); collaborati on with the media recepti on for the parti cipants of the EuropCom conference of the Committ ee of Regions; Presidency welcome cocktail for the Polish communiti es in Brussels; newslet- To reinforce the politi cal message of the Polish Presidency ters and electronic noti fi cati ons about the forthcoming towards the key groups of recipients in Brussels and events of the Presidency for Polish people working in EU opinion-forming circles in the leading capitals of the EU, insti tuti ons (the so-called Polish Presidency Alert); a video and also to increase the visibility of the Presidency in enti tled ‘Polish Presidency in the European Parliament’, the European media, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs preparati on of the politi cal roadmap of the Polish announced a competi ti on for the implementati on Presidency and listi ngs of key stakeholders (stakeholder of ‘Kampania Public Relati ons/Public Aff airs skierowana mapping). do środowiska międzynarodowego w Brukseli w związku z objęciem przez Polskę przewodnictwa w Radzie UE’. [Public relati ons/public aff airs campaign addressed to the internati onal community in Brussels related to Poland’s assumpti on of the Presidency of the EU Council] in August 2010. The contract, carried out from April 2011 to end of March 2012, was signed with Burson-Marsteller, an internati onal agency based in Brussels. Recognising the work covered by the competi ti on as the starti ng point, the parti es agreed the type, number, and dates of projects to be conducted, the target groups, goals, and also methodology of evaluati on. The agreed parameters were entered in the basic document (master plan). An extensive list of the key stakeholders from the point of view of priority subjects of the politi cal programme of the Polish Presidency was also draft ed. The support from Burson- Electronic newslett er about forthcoming Presidency events Marsteller covered fi ve areas23 (listed below according to (Polish Presidency Alert) the intensity of involvement and costs incurred): Public Aff airs; Media Relati ons; Coordinati on Planning and Evaluati on; Crisis Management; Public Relati ons.

2 .5 .12 .1 . Public Affairs

Scope of acti on: current strategic consulti ng (including consultati ons with ministers/secretaries of state before the inaugurati on of the Presidency and before the addresses in the commissions of the European Parliament; contributi ons to the addresses by the Prime Minister Invitati on to one of the Meet the Presidency meeti ngs of the Republic of Poland and the Plenipotenti ary to the European Parliament; consultancy concerning the commemorati on of the anniversary of 11 September 2001, and granti ng the name of Solidarity to the espla- nade in front of the European Parliament, numerous events in the European Parliament (including the theme- based breakfast named Breakfast Briefi ng, informal meeti ngs of the Presidency with the MEPs enti tled ‘Meet the Presidency’; the ‘Hello Poland!’ exhibiti on, and

23 A detailed summary of the cooperati on and the descripti ons of the individual projects can be found in the ‘Raport końcowy z kampanii PR/PA skierowanej do środowiska międzynarodowego W Brukseli w związku z objęciem przez Polskę przewodnictwa w Radzie UE’ [Final report from the public relati ons/public aff airs campaign addressed to the interna- A sti ll from the video summing up the acti viti es of the Polish Presidency ti onal community in Brussels related to assumpti on of the Presidency at the European Parliament of the EU Council by Poland].

108 2 .5 .12 .2 . Media Relations 2.5.12.4. Crisis Management

Scope of acti ons: current strategic media consult- Scope of acti ons: draft ing a crisis plan, including po- ing, including training for Presidency spokespeople and tenti al crisis scenarios; day-to-day consulti ng and sup- press att achés of Polish embassies; daily and weekly port; practi cal training: simulati on of a crisis situati on monitoring of European media and blogs; monthly for the Plenipotenti ary and selected staff of the Ministry analyses of communicati on gaps; monitoring and evalu- of Foreign Aff airs and the Permanent Representati on ati on of events with the parti cipati on of representati ves of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels. of the Presidency; building media contact lists before Presidency events concerning the environment and energy sector; preparati on of the fi nal report summaris- 2 .5 .12 .5 . Public Relations ing the image of the Presidency in the European media; organisati on of four media study visits to Poland (inaugu- Scope of acti on: producti on and distributi on of two rati on of the Presidency, Eastern Partnership, EU budget, types of postcards for the Presidency: a welcome card cohesion policy); the shaping of the debate by publicati on with Polish words, and a farewell card addressed to of opinion forming editorials (Op-Eds) by the main repre- the Members of the European Parliament. sentati ves of the Presidency in key ti tles of the European press. pierogi miłego dnia tak The table below presents an excerpt from the monthly (pea-ye-roe-gee) (me-way-go (tak) dumplings POLSKA dnee-ah) yes communicati on gap analysis. have a nice GREETINGS na zdrowie day nie FROM (naz-droh- (nee-ye) THE POLISH -vee-yeah) no PRESIDENCY cheers 2.5.12.3. Coordination, planning, evaluation

Scope of acti ons: all the administrati ve and coordina- do widzenia cześć (cheshch) (doe-veed- now, try to ti on acti ons aimed at ensuring streamlined progress -zen-ja) pronounce this! :) hello of the campaign from its incepti on to its closure, including good bye chrząszcz the preparati on of the monthly and quarterly reports, and smacznego dziękuję (*chrzonshch) (smach-ne-go) (jen-koo-yeah) beetle

bon appétit POLISH! YOUR MASTER thank you *ch like loch also acti on plans for the following month; preparati on rz like treasure Analizaof a multi media luk presentati komunikacyjnych on. - wyniki Polish Presidency welcome card

Table 19. Excerpt from the monthly communicati on gap analysis

2500

2000

1500

1000 WzmiankiMention of PrezydencjiPresidency WzmiankiMention in wmedia mediach 500

Energy Fishery Health Education Agriculture Social policy Concurrency Home a airs Eurozone crisis Treaty change Foreign policy Human rightsDefence policy Common market Cohesion Policy Eastern Partnership Economic growth / MFF Parliamentary elections Safety / Borders / Schengen Environment / Climate / Durban

109 Report

2.5. Promotion, information, culture

Polish Presidency farewell card, addressed to Members of the European Parliament

At the close of the Presidency, that is in December 2011, and in January and February 2012, on the commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the agency developed a series of materials, measuring the results of the Presidency and also distributing information about them. These included: » Highlights and Achievements: multimedia presentations in English, provided to the diplomatic missions and representatives of administration in shorter and longer versions; » analysis of the questionnaires sent to the European Commission, Poles employed in European institutions, and the media in Brussels (more information about the results from the questionnaires is provided in point 4.1); » the report about the image of the Presidency in the European media (more information concerning the results from the questionnaires is provided in point 4.2); » report about the image of the Presidency in the Polish media (more information is provided in point 4.3); » an information and training video with statements by the Plenipotentiary and other representatives of the Presidency (programming, coordination, logistics, media, protocol, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU in Brussels). The collaboration with the Burson-Marsteller agency, which was of a pioneering character for public administration on this scale, must unquestionably be evaluated positively. The precise strategic consulting of the agency’s experts, training in the areas of identifying deficits in the knowledge of representatives of the Presidency, access to an expanded network of media contacts, and also the relief from the organisational and technical burden were a significant added value, which reinforced the power of outreach of the most important communications of the Polish Presidency. The contacts established during the Presidency and the know-how gained will continue to bring profits in years to come.

110

3 .

Preparations and implementation of the Presidency programme

3.1. Programming preparations

3.1.1. Analytical preparations to Sweden (February 2010), Spain (November 2010) and Belgium (January 2011). They also took part in talks with representatives of the Czech Republic and the Kingdom argely focused on programming efforts, substan- of Denmark. All meetings put the spotlight on experi- Ltive preparations for the Presidency formed an ences of the above-mentioned states relevant to prepara- essential and extremely challenging task delivered by tions and logistics of the presidency. Detailed discussions the Office of the Committee for European Integration and focused on such issues as the context of the presidency the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accountable for interde- of the EU Council; political narration and the perception partmental coordination of preparations. of the presidency as well as coordination of the presiden- Initially, the key part of programming preparations fo- cy’s cooperation with EU institutions. Other important cused on analytical efforts which served as the basis for themes included the methodology of work on program- follow up, especially the development of programming ming documents and coordination of European policy documents (initial list of priorities, six and 18-month pro- during the presidency as well as its internal aspects: rein- gramme for the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Trio). The goal forcement of commitment of the prime minister’s office of analytical efforts was to develop a methodology for in programming preparations; inter-departmental coordi- programming preparations, and identify the EU agenda nation of efforts before the launch of the presidency and and the overall context for the Polish Presidency. These during its term, also by appointment of a cross-depart- initiatives were particularly important as it was the first mental team for programming preparations. After each time that Poland assumed the presidency of the EU meeting official memos were drawn up which contained Council. detailed information on the course of the discussion and conclusions for Poland. Subject meetings produced extremely useful informa- 3 .1 .1 .1 . The CEPS study tion regarding ‘presidency-centred activities’ and solutions applied by other countries. Later, all those issues At the very beginning of programming preparations became the subject of in-depth analysis conducted by for the Presidency, the Office of the Committee for the Office of the Committee for European Integration and European Integration (OCEI) commissioned the ‘Center the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which highlighted their for European Policy Studies’ to undertake a study enti- practical application during the Polish Presidency. tled ‘Moving Europe Forward. Programming the Polish Presidency 2011’ authored by Piotr Maciej Kaczyński and Sebastian Kurpas, which focused on the Polish Presidency 3 .1 .1 .3 . Analytical efforts programming as well as identification of its priorities. Its first section was dedicated to the overall context of setting Substantive preparations included analyses and analyti- selection criteria for priorities, timeframes as well as co- cal memos dedicated to various aspects of the presidency. operation with EU institutions and other stakeholders. Their development was driven by all available information The second section discussed specific political objectives which could have been useful in the context of prepara- to be embraced by the Polish Presidency. The study also tions and the exercise of the presidency, especially con- contained a number of case studies pointing to reasons clusions from meetings with representatives of other behind successes or failures of previous presidencies. states holding previous presidencies, information derived The study was widely used during presidency pro- from various studies on the presidency of the EU Council gramming. It provided a variety of information about regularly collated and analysed since 2008, an analysis the criteria for the selection of priorities, proven models of programming documents, conclusions from previous to be implemented by Poland and specific recommenda- efforts. Analytical studies were mainly based on origi- tions for areas to be prioritised by the Polish Presidency. nal reflections and evaluation of the above-mentioned Numerous topics covered by the study were later subject sources to present insights and conclusions concerning to in-depth analysis. a wide spectrum of vital issues in terms of programming and the exercise of the presidency, of both a substantive (recommended topics to be included in the programme 3.1.1.2. Study visits of the presidency and their eligibility criteria), technical and logistic nature (the programming process). During preparations for the Presidency of the EU Council, Other analyses focused on programming documents foreign study visits were organised to get an insight into of previous presidencies, which created grounds for the process of Presidency programming in other coun- the formulation of conclusions concerning the accuracy tries and capitalise on their experiences. Representatives of priority selection, the likelihood of success, undertaking of the Office of the Committee for European Integration and execution of original initiatives, the impact of unfore- and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted study tours seeable events (especially conflicts and crisis situations)

115 Report 3.1. Programming preparations

on the course of the presidency, progress in the execution 3 .1 .1 .5 . Cooperation with the Council of its agenda and slogan selection. of External Advisors A good example is provided by a memo discussing the programming of presidency priorities and criteria ap- To optimise preparations for the presidency and em- plicable to their selection. Another one is a memo dedi- brace the internal perspective, the Council of External cated to the programming of Presidency priorities which Advisors for Programming the Polish Presidency presents criteria for priority selection, programming and of the European Union Council was appointed in line with execution phases, and the mechanism driving identifica- a decision of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish tion of the priorities of the Polish Presidency. The memo Presidency of 5 May 2009. Its line-up included representa- features an overview of the programming schedule, initial tives of European think tanks and universities: Laurent recommendations for priorities and key conclusions for Cohen-Tanugi (Chairman of Europe and Globalisation follow-up. Analytical materials containing an assess- Taskforce), Dieter Helm (an Oxford University profes- ment of areas covered by competencies of the Office sor), Paul Hofheinz (the President of the Lisbon Council), of the Committee for European Integration (negotiations Alan Mayhew (a Sussex University professor), Jean on the new financial perspective and the EU strategy for Pisani-Ferry (the Director of Bruegel Institute), Gaëtane the Baltic Sea Region) in the perspective of the future Ricard-Nihoul (the Secretary General of Notre Europe), Polish Presidency were enclosed to the memo. Daniela Schwarzer (Head of Research Division at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) and Paweł Świeboda (President of DemosEUROPA). 3 .1 .1 .4 . Publications The Council served as an opinion-making and advisory body to the Plenipotentiary, whereas its key objectives In 2009, the Department of Analyses and Strategies included revision of documents of the Plenipotentiary published the OCEI Bulletin of Analyses entitled ‘Polish related to programming methodology and selection Presidency of the European Union – 2011’, which reflected of priorities for the Polish Presidency, development the scope and outcomes of related efforts. The publica- of analyses concerning presidency programming as well tion put the spotlight on a feature dedicated to changes as analytical and advisory reinforcement of activities introduced by the Lisbon Treaty to the EU Presidency of the Plenipotentiary in terms of Poland’s programming system as well as the scope of competencies of the rotat- preparations for the presidency. ing presidency. Articles from the Bulletin focused on sev- Cooperation with the Council of External Experts was eral aspects of programming preparations and selection also determined by the logic of Poland’s preparations for of priorities: the context for the agenda to be embraced the Presidency of the European Union Council and was by programming efforts, an analysis of experiences rolled out in two formats: regular meetings and discus- of previous presidencies, and a detailed analysis of se- sions1 in Warsaw and written contributions of Council lected recommended themes for the Polish Presidency. members on commissioned topics. The latter issues were supported by case studies high- The main highlight of all meetings was the programming lighting such individual areas as migration, the financial of priorities of the Polish Presidency in the context of the EU perspective after 2013, the EU energy policy, the EU strat- agenda and external conditions. Issues addressed during egy for the Baltic Sea Region, the EU Eastern policy and those meetings focused on such topics as the context the area of Freedom, Security and Justice. The Bulletin of the Polish Presidency, mainly defined by the economic also discussed the democratic legitimisation of priorities crisis, the European Union agenda for the years 2011-2012, of the Polish Presidency. economic and social aspects of the presidency, concepts The main objective of the Bulletin was to set directions for specific initiatives to be undertaken by Poland during for the debate on the priorities of the Polish Presidency the term of its leadership and the narration of the Polish (it was mainly addressed to entities engaged in prepara- Presidency. Another important talking point included tions of the presidency, but it was stressed that this topic consultations of the Council of External Advisors with rep- stirred keen interest of the public and media). Its authors resentatives of the government administration regarding underlined that the leadership of the EU Council in 2011 subsequent stages of priority programming – beginning is one of the priority objectives and challenges for Poland with consultations focused on prospects for the Polish as a Member State and that the presidency is the most Presidency in the light of potential agenda for the years powerful tool for impacting the EU Poland will enjoy in 2011-2012 held at the first meeting in May 2009, update the nearest future. on conditions and specific proposals for the Presidency at Analytical efforts conducted by Office of the Committee end-2010, and finally, consultations regarding the status for European Integration/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contributed to the development of methodology which 1 The first meeting of the Council was held on 27-28 May 2009, the sec- was applied in programming documents created in July ond one on 16 October 2009, the third one on 14 October 2010 and 2009. the final one on 8-9 June 2011.

116 of preparations for individual Polish Presidency priorities of the EU Council and included an analysis of such docu- discussed during a meeting in June 2011. ments, as multiannual strategic documents (strategies, Written statements (including studies and comments) programmes, white papers and green papers), revi- penned by the Council of External Advisors on commission clauses in Community legislative acts, conclusions sion of the Department of Economic Policy of the Ministry of the EU Council and the European Council, reports from of Foreign Affairs marked an important addition and meetings of individual Council formations, Council expert development on topics discussed during meetings. groups, committees reinforcing EC efforts as well as docu- The above statements tackled selected themes of indi- ments of the European Parliament. In addition, the table vidual meetings and offered an insight into addressed embraced new issues which were vital from the perspec- areas. Putting the spotlight on programming priorities tive of the Polish Presidency. for the Polish Presidency, the above-mentioned advi- The template of the table which guided the inventory- sory initiatives were the focal point of collaboration with making as well as related guidelines were enclosed the Council of External Experts, which produced essential to the document entitled ‘Programming the Polish guidelines in the context of presidency programming in Presidency of the EU Council – operating aspects’. Poland, the presidency agenda, and more importantly, its Following intensive efforts of public administra- priorities. tion bodies engaged in preparations, the first- ver sion of the catalogue was adopted by the European Committee of the Council of Ministers (ECCM) on 2 3.1.2. The fiche system February 2009. The document covered 544 items. Having adopted the document, ECCM committed departments and central authorities to update the catalogue 3.1.2.1. The inventory of issues covered by after announcement of the multiannual programme the Polish Presidency agenda of the European Commission which was published on 31 March 2010. Catalogue update driven by the above- One of the first stages of programming of the Polish mentioned data was completed by relevant departments Presidency was marked by development of the interde- by the end of April 2010, which led to an increase in partmental ‘Catalogue of policy issues which may appear the number of items covered by the catalogue to approx. on the agenda of the Polish Presidency in the second half 720. Consecutive updated versions of the Catalogue were of 2011’ (the so-called inventory)2. The Catalogue be- presented on the forum of the Committee for European came one of the essential vehicles for programming and Affairs since February 2011. identification of priorities as well as the development To accelerate efforts on the update of the Catalogue, of the framework programme for the Polish Presidency. a decision was taken to have inventory tables for par- Efforts on the said document were initiated in 2009, i.e. ticular Councils submitted individually for discussions two years before the launch of the Polish Presidency. All of the Committee for European Affairs. After adoption ministries and central administration bodies accountable of consecutive sections (reflecting efforts of Councils) by for conducting working group efforts as well as logistics CEA, individual ministries were committed to undertake of meetings of individual Council formations in close efforts on programming fiches. Ultimately, the fiche cooperation with the Permanent Representative were system was designed to cover all issues identified in engaged in the implementation of this objective. It was the issue Catalogue (unless a given issue was withdrawn). stressed at a very early stage that work in so-called clus- The adoption of tables for particular Councils by CEA was ter format (close cooperation of various ministries within not tantamount to completion of table-related efforts at the same council) is essential. ministries. Due to the dynamic nature of issues, all minis- The Department of Analyses and Strategies of the Office tries were obliged to update tables within the area of their of the Committee for European Integration (after merger expertise. When a substantial number of additional issues of OCEI with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this role emerged in the spring of 2011, CEA adopted an annex to was taken over by the Department of Economic Policy the above Catalogue. of the Ministry) was the coordinator of efforts and the entity accountable for consistency of the inventory process. The inventory covered a review and an analysis of policy 3.1.2.2. Building the programming fiche system issues which could have been addressed by the agenda of the Polish Presidency. The process began with a re- Programming fiches were designed on the basis view of policy issues in the context of all configurations of the ‘Catalogue of issues which may appear on the agenda of the Polish Presidency in the second half of 2011’, 2 The need for development of such complex document was acknowledged in the document ‘Programming the Polish Presidency of the EU completed in spring 2011 . Council – operating aspects’ adopted in July 2009.

117 Report 3.1. Programming preparations

Following interdepartmental consultations, an initial position defined in the section setting strategic objectives fiche template was approved in 2009 by the European and deliverables of the Polish Presidency. Committee of the Council of Ministers as an annex Its adoption by CEA meant that all ministries had to to the document ‘Programming of Polish Presidency enter fiches into the specially designed on-line system. of the EU Council – operating aspects’. Each fiche present- The fiche concept was inspired by the experiences ed a brief overview (the so-called data sheet) of a given of other Member States holding the presidency of the EU issue plus information about its origins, legal context, Council4. In all cases, implementation of a similar system efforts to-date and entities contributing to the decision- produced measurable benefits in terms of improved making process. In addition, fiches were updated on information flow, tightening of cross-departmental the basis of conducted analyses contained information cooperation, enhanced coordination of efforts and rein- about the negotiation strategy adopted by the Polish forcement of the decision-making system in those states. Presidency in relation to a given issue (including an over- Information about experiences gained by those countries view of the prominence of a given issue for the Polish was extremely practical, yet construction of the Polish Presidency and Poland) as well as positions of other con- fiche system had to reflect the specific profile and the contributors to the decision-making process. Moreover, fich- text of the Polish administration. All activities related to es also included an overview of essential activities to be construction of the system were thus pioneer initiatives taken in relation to European institutions, other Member as there was no ready-to-use solution to be transplanted. States and internal activities on the Polish government Moreover, the priority set for the Department of Analyses level. In addition, the fiche template was supplemented and Strategies of OCEI (later, the Department of Economic with info about the minister, vice-minister, director and Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) was to design expert accountable for the subject area, including detailed an easy-to-use, economic system based on a platform contact information. During preparations for the Polish which would guarantee its interoperability with the IT Presidency of the EU the template was modified and infrastructure of all public administration units defined supplemented with fields vital for the Presidency. In July as clients of the application. It should be stressed that no 2010, CEA adopted a document entitled ‘Programming existing system met the above criteria as in most cases of Polish Presidency of the EU Council – the fiche system: these were highly complex applications or systems driven the concept and technical data’, which was the outcome by a specific technology commonly applied by administra- of a compromise and collaboration of all ministries. tion bodies in a given state. The overall process related to In reality, programming fiches being programming system implementation which commenced with the de- instruments deployed during the Presidency were com- cision confirming the need for its construction, through pleted approximately one month before the beginning its concept design stage, consultations with ministries, of its term. Ready-to-use fiches were regularly reviewed tests and eventually the go-live phase, required thorough and updated by respective ministries until the launch planning and the solving of numerous non-standard prob- of the Presidency. In addition, all fiches were verified lems. All activities undertaken to design the fiche system by the Department of Economic Policy of the Ministry called for enormous individual contribution, whereas of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Committee for the process was highly innovative since there were no European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ready-to-use solutions to be deployed. the Permanent Representative both in terms of their Eventually, the concept of the system was adopted contents as well as technical aspects. During reviews and by CEA in July 2010. When the address of the system as the term of the Presidency approached, the nature in the Internet was finalised, certification efforts were of fiches began to evolve from purely informative to more launched to assure its protection and safeguard of fu- operational and programming-oriented (negotiations- ture data. It was essential to combine the system with centred) one. It should be stressed that reviews contrib- the Presidency’s Extranet to optimally simplify operations uted to the identification of the most frequent issues (for- on both platforms for the end user. After implementation mal, organisational and substantive)3 and a swift reaction of the final version of the system in early September 2010, to them. accounts were allocated and distributed to users who In June 2011, all fiches were submitted to the Committee were previously nominated by individual public adminis- for European Affairs to obtain the negotiating mandate in tration bodies. relation to issues covered by the Polish Presidency agen- Users were introduced to the system in November 2010 da. Adoption of the mandate referred to the negotiating when a pilot project to supplement fiches was launched. It contributed to the verification of adopted assump- 3 A frequent mistake involved the failure to consult the contents tions, introduced users to the fiche system, identified of a fiche with the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the European Union and other ministries being a part of the cluster, or incorrectly filled in fields (e.g. confusing the position of Poland with 4 Study visits to Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic as well as other the stance of the Polish Presidency). states.

118 application errors and issues which could have been faced or final reports from working groups, entering changes to by future users. After completion of the pilot, all lessons fiches, creating and submitting new fiches to CEA as well learnt were implemented to optimally fine tune the sys- as withdrawing fiches from the system were put together tem to expectations of its users. To improve its opera- and later distributed to all users of the system and simul- tions, the Department of Economic Policy of the Ministry taneously published on-line. It should be stressed that of Foreign Affairs delivered tutorial courses to demon- publication of reports from working group meetings in strate operations of the system. During this phase minis- the fiche system has largely contributed to an improve- tries were able to test the platform via the Internet. ment in information flow across the public administration. The system eventually went live in late 2010, what It enabled all contributors to the decision-making system, was followed by regular update of fiches. From that time mainly individual ministries, to swiftly and effectively on, the objective of the Department of Economic Policy access all key information relevant to a given issue and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was to substantively ensured consistency of undertaken efforts with the Polish verify all imported fiches, administrate the system and Presidency agenda. react to problems as they emerge. The user database As a result of a large number of fiches, breakdowns was continuously expanded, whereas the system was and internal periodical analyses were drafted regularly to enhanced with new functionalities (e.g. new fields, im- reflect changes in the fiche system triggered by advanced provements, etc.). efforts of ministries during the presidency, what has consequently led to development of breakdowns illustrating the number of issues completed during the Presidency, 3.1.2.3. Fiche system support during the term of the total number of issues on the agenda of the Polish the Presidency Presidency, the number of new fiches (i.e. fiches not included in the inventory table) and withdrawn fiches (i.e. All operating, technical and legal aspects related to issues not addressed by the Presidency). operations of the fiche system were regularly updated In addition to substantive supervision of the system, after the beginning of the term of the Polish Presidency. the Department of Economic Policy of the Ministry It should be stressed that on 1 July 2011, the Department of Foreign Affairs offered technical support to all system of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs be- users. Its assistance was mainly focused on administra- gan to verify the progress in import of fiches adopted tion of system accounts, unlocking passwords, amend- by CEA into the online system (https://fiszki.msz.gov. ment of contact details, and introduction of new users. pl). Outcomes of verification were regularly reported Most importantly, with constant supervision in place, all to the Assistance Committee for the Polish Presidency reported problems were solved on current basis. This of the European Union Council (the so-called ZWIAD), assistance also covered extension of internal system glos- communicated by phone and email to individual depart- saries or the mere process of entering or updating fiches. ments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other minis- There were also cases when to address technical issues tries. Reports contained information about the catalogue encountered by editors, employees of the Department of breaches and guidelines for ministries. In addition of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs en- to minor breaches, usually purely technical ones (e.g. tered data into indicated fiches themselves. In addition, the failure to enter titles of annexes to working group such monitoring contributed to introduction of devel- reports), initial months of the Presidency revealed more opmental changes which adapted the system to specific complex inaccuracies, usually concerning the failure needs emerging during its operations, for instance, publi- to regularly update fiches. To address such issues, spe- cation of previously mentioned working group reports in cific activities were undertaken to assure the compliance the system. of ministries substantively accountable for respective From 1 December 2010 until 31 December 2011, editors fiches with pre-defined requirements. Appointment and users logged into to the fiche system 11,807 times of ministerial coordinators serving as a uniform channel (12,528 logins to the on-line system altogether, including for fiche management (update)-centred communication administrator logins). The system had 2,153 registered of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with individual ministries users - users and editors- since its launch and witnessed proved to be an important tool facilitating coordination the highest traffic in July and September 2011. On aver- of the fiche system, what was particularly important age, there were 966 logins to the system per month in considering the total number of programming fiches and 2011. The table below depicts figures on the number accountable editors. of logins to the fiche system. The discussed period witnessed development and implementation of new procedures assuring smooth operations of the said system. Instructions for enclosing initial

119 Report 3.1. Programming preparations

Table 20. The number of logins into the fiche system

Month Number of logins December 2010 211 January 2011 278 February 2011 240 March 2011 324 April 2011 528 May 2011 511 June 2011 1 078 July 2011 1 842 August 2011 603 September 2011 1 762 October 2011 1 645 November 2011 1 259 December 2011 1 526 TOTAL 11 807

120 3.2. Cooperation in the trio and the 18-month programme

ccording to the Treaty of Lisbon, the trio has an im- timetables were drafted and the potential key chal- Aportant role to play in ensuring cohesion and conti- lenges for the Poland – Denmark – Cyprus trio were nuity of EU activity. Reinforcement of collaboration during analysed. Since embarking on the programme work for the 18-month work of the trio serves to ensure greater ef- the trio too early would not have allowed accounting for ficiency of activities (compared to a 6-month perspective) all the matters that were to be tackled, the initial timeta- and strategic planning. The programmes of the trio are ble for the works on the programme was amended during the presentation of facts and a snapshot of the EU Council the meeting in Nicosia in April 2010. It was also decided activities likely to be conducted for the following 18 that the programme of the trio, following the previous months. An additional benefit from the trio programmes ones (FR-CZ-SE and ES-BE-HU), would be drafted in a divi- is the collaboration between Member States, which pro- sion into strategic and operational parts, with the latter vides a good lesson before assumption of the rotating including priorities in individual sector councils. presidency and positively influences the advancement Each state prepared a draft of its contribution to of preparation work. the 18-month programme individually and sent it to The main objective of the cooperation on - mat the General Secretariat of the Council of the European ters of substance within the trio is the development Union, so that the Secretariat could generate a single doc- of the 18-month programme.5 A further necessary ele- ument. Poland submitted its contribution to its partners ment in the development of the programme is the col- from the trio and the General Secretariat of the EU Council laboration with the President of the European Council on 21 September 2010,6 Denmark on 17 September 2010 and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign and Cyprus on 15 October 2010. Affairs and Security Policy. Beginning its Presidency Later, in October, the General Secretariat in July 2011, Poland was the first and largest state of the EU Council submitted the proposal of the structure of the trio also comprising the Kingdom of Denmark of the 18-month programme of the trio. The Polish party and the Republic of Cyprus. The PL-DK-CY trio is the first accepted it with minor comments (concerning among to hold the Presidency based on the Treaty of Lisbon, others the division of individual topics between individual which is why its task was to put into force some provi- councils) and Denmark and Cyprus did not raise any com- sions of the Treaty, including deepening of cooperation ments. In November, a meeting of the trio in Brussels in the fields of the Common Security and Defence Policy, (on 22 November 2010) was hosted by Poland. Besides energy policy and neighbourhood policy. the Danish and Cypriot partners, other participants were The Polish side began collaboration with Denmark and representatives of the General Secretariat of the EU Cyprus within the trio as early as 2008. The collaboration Council. The meeting served as an in-depth discussion was continued both at the level of the ministers of foreign concerning the substance-related content of the 18-month affairs and sectoral ministers and directors of the Ministry programme (mostly discussion of the contribution to of Foreign Affairs as well as of other pertinent sectors. the strategic part of the programme) and its formal struc- As a result of the closer collaboration, nine meetings ture. It was decided that the General Secretariat of the EU were held at the level of trio coordinators. More exten- Council would present the first draft of the submitted text sive treatment of these meetings can be found in Chapter in January 2011. The Secretariat delivered the first draft 1.5.1. ‘Co-operation with the Member States’. of the 18-month programme of the trio on 31 January Also held in Warsaw in July 2010 was a training 2011. It was written on the basis of the contributions sent seminar organised for the Polish representatives by the three presidencies. The document did not contain of the sectors concerning the practical aspects of writing any parts pertaining to trade and development or re- the 18-month programme of the trio (and the 6-month lated to expansion; these were delivered at a later date.7 programme of the Presidency) conducted by Jürgen The Polish, Cypriot and Danish parties submitted their Neisse of the General Secretariat of the EU Council. comments to the draft in writing. Moreover, the meeting During the successive meetings of the trio coordinators, in Brussels on 30 March 2011 was devoted to discussion the frameworks of mutual collaboration and preliminary of the individual clauses of the first draft. A significant proportion of the comments were taken into 5 In line with Art. 2 of the Rules of procedure of the Council of the European account in the second draft of the 18-month programme, Union: ‘Every 18 months, the pre-established group of three Member States holding the Presidency of the Council for that period, in ac- 6 cordance with Article 1(4), shall prepare a draft programme of Council The Polish contribution to the 18-month programme of the trio was activities for that period. The draft shall be prepared with the President first the object of interdepartmental work; later the document was of the Foreign Affairs Council with regard to that configuration’s activi- sent to the members of the Team for Preparation of the Presidency, and ties during that period. The draft programme shall be prepared in close the submitted comments were taken into account in the text presented cooperation with the Commission and the President of the European to the General Secretariat of the EU Council. Council, and after appropriate consultations. It shall be presented in 7 The first draft of the 18-month programme, complemented with issues a single document no later than one month before the relevant period, related to Enlargement, Commercial Policy and Development, was deliv- with a view to its endorsement by the General Affairs Council.’ ered by the General Secretariat on 21 February 2011.

121 Report 3.2. Cooperation in the trio and the 18-month programme

which was sent to the states of the trio by the General Secretariat of the EU Council on 21 April 2011. All three presidencies also submitted their comments to this draft early in May 2011. On 17 May 2011, a technical meeting of the trio concerning the second draft of the 18-month programme of the trio took place. The part related to foreign matters was not discussed at that meeting, as at that time they had not yet been accepted by the EEAS. Political decisions were still required in the case of the clauses concerning questions of shipyards, related to expansion (Turkey) and, not least, questions of taxation. The last, decisive meeting of the coordinators of the presidencies concerning the clauses of the 18-month programme was held in Cyprus towards the end of May. The presentation of the 18-month programme took place on 16 June 2010 at the forum of COREPER II and on 21 June 2011 the General Affairs Council (GAC) approved the 18-month programme without comments, thus endorsing the final wording of the document. The states of the trio believe that the document reflects both the challenges that the EU faces and the priority areas of all three presidencies. Moreover, it ensures the continuity of EU activity by exposing the activities for the future presidencies and provides good grounds for programming the actions of the EU Council. Conscious of the fact that the decisions made during the Presidency of the Polish – Danish – Cypriot trio will de facto define the development of the European Union by 2020, the 18-month programme identified the following challenges: » negotiations concerning the new multiannual financial frameworks which must be concluded by the end of 2012 » intelligent and sustainable economic growth (among others supporting a knowledge-based economy that uses natural resources efficiently, investments in research and innovation, education and training) » demographic and society-related challenges as well as global changes, including degradation of the environment, climate changes, limited resources, pressure on biodiversity, international migrations and poverty » in the field of justice and home affairs: implementation of the Stockholm programme, implementation of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum » democratisation in the neighbourhood of the EU, both Eastern and Southern, and also progress in the process of expansion, which is of key importance for Europe’s further development. The tasks delineated above were implemented by the Polish Presidency in the second half of 2011 and will also be continued by the Danish Presidency (first half of 2012) and Cyprus Presidency (second half of 2012).

122 3.3. Priorities

n 13 January 2009, the Council of Ministers the Priorities and programming document approved by Oapproved the document entitled ‘Program the European Committee of the Council of Ministers.9 przygotowań Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej do objęcia i The document entitled ‘Programming of the Polish sprawowania przewodnictwa w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ Presidency of the EU Council – Operational Aspects’ [Programme of preparation of the Republic of Poland analyses the operational aspects of the Presidency pro- for taking up and carrying out the Presidency of the EU gramming, including: Council].8 Besides the legal and treaty analyses or logistic » the stages of the work which must be completed aspects, the document included a section concerning to define the 6-month and 18-month programmes the discussion of Polish policy in the EU in the context for the trio of working out the priorities of the Polish Presidency. » the system of instruments to support the indi- It analysed the mechanism of working out priorities, vidual stages of work (including the monitoring pointed to the need to conduct a debate concerning of the work advancement on legislative proposals, the Presidency, emphasised collaboration within the trio also in EU institutions, stocktaking of policy issues and described the assumptions of the parliamentary di- that would arise on the agenda during the Polish mension in the context of the Presidency. The programme Presidency, the programme fiches) of preparation of the Republic of Poland document also » partners with whom collaboration would be nec- pointed to the fact that ‘it is necessary to agree the mech- essary: primarily the General Secretariat of the EU anism of working out priorities by Poland, so that their Council, the European Commission, the European first outline will be ready by 2009’. Parliament, Denmark and Cyprus (partners from Following on from this commitment, intensive work the trio), Hungary in the capacity of the preced- was initiated at the Office of the Committee for European ing Presidency (and the entire preceding trio) and Integration. This resulted in the creation of the document the remaining Member States. entitled ‘Priorytety i programowanie polskiej prezydencji The operational document also contained a list w Unii Europejskiej w 2011’ [Priorities and program- of eight tasks to be performed, together with the nam- ming of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in ing of the entities responsible for their completion and 2011]. It pointed to the tasks and objectives of the Polish the desired deadline for their execution. Presidency and an array of determining factors that ‘The Priorities and programming of the Polish the government of the Republic of Poland was to account Presidency of the EU Council in 2011’10 put the main for while working on the programming of the Presidency emphasis on the analysis of the determining factors in defining priorities of the Polish Presidency and also that should be taken into account when programming outlined their potential directions. the work of the Polish Presidency and the initial proposals Together with the approval of the document, entitled of the areas that could provide the priorities of the Polish ‘Programowanie polskiej prezydencji w Radzie UE – as- Presidency. pekty operacyjne’ [Programming of the Polish Presidency The factor considered most important in Poland’s tenure of the EU Council – operational aspects] by the European of the Presidency was the economic crisis. Even though it Committee of the Council of Ministers on 21 July 2009 and was difficult to foresee the scale of problems that the EU after the discussion of the document entitled ‘Priorities would be facing in the second half of 2011, it was forecast and programming of the Polish Presidency of the EU that the crisis would determine the European agenda and Council in 2011’, the process of preparation for the form- that countering its impact would be among the leading ing of the national Presidency’s 6-month programme and themes during the Polish Presidency. There was also a fo- selection of priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU cus on the need to develop the strategy of overcoming its Council was de facto initiated. impact, supporting economic growth and working out ef- At the same time, in line with the decisions ficient methods of reacting to similar crises in the future. of the European Committee of the Council of Ministers Another significant factor defined in the document of 21 July 2009, the sectors were obliged to prepare com- as one determining the process of programming was munications that would provide a synthetic summary the long-term EU agenda, namely EU projects whose of the analysis of the agenda and of the potential propos- implementation would take place during the Polish als of priorities for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, along with their justification and with the consideration 9 These materials were supposed to be presented by 30 September of the specificity of tasks and guidelines formulated in 2009, i.e. 21 months before the assumption of the Presidency. In the fulfilment of this obligation, the departments sent their proposals, which were later also verified viz. the earlier defined criteria. 8 The programme of preparation of the Republic of Poland for the as- 10 Formally accepted by the European Committee of the Council sumption and course of the Presidency in the EU Council was earlier (on of Ministers on 22 September 2009 and later again on 16 October 2009, 28 October 2008) approved by the European Committee of the Council after being complemented by the section concerning the European of Ministers. Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

123 Report 3.3. Priorities

Presidency due to the cyclical nature of certain pro- the flagships of the Polish Presidency and the areas cesses. Primarily mentioned here were the negotiations identified as potential strategic priorities of the New Financial Perspective 2014–2020 and those » the requirement of alignment with the long- related to it, including the discussion of the shape term interest of the country – that is accounting of the Common Agricultural Policy and cohesion policy for national strategic documents which define and a review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). the courses of action in a longer-term perspective Another determining factor that the document en- » the requirement of attractiveness of the pri- visaged significantly influencing the process of tenure orities– understood as alignment with the general of the Presidency was the Treaty of Lisbon’s coming into European interest and the possibility of acquiring effect. Emphasised were not only its implications for support for the priorities among other countries the EU agenda, but also the changed manner of holding » probability of achieving the assumed objectives the Presidency and the new institutional environment: – analysis of the possibility of completing a given collaboration with the President of the European Council, sector priority limitation of competencies in the scope of foreign affairs, » link to the EU work agenda as a favourable crite- greater involvement in collaboration with the European rion (possible actions focus on entering the given Parliament as well as a new model of collaboration within sector priority on the agenda) the trio. Additionally, the document pointed to debates » specialisation – selection of subjects in which, with a global scope (e.g. concerning global trade, climate thanks to its experience and knowledge, Poland change), events related to the dynamics of the process aspires to a leadership role and can contribute and of integration and also the general political context (elec- add value to European policy tions in many states of the European Union). » (additionally) a specific goal – definition of the de- As part of identification of the priority areas of the Polish sired result to be achieved during the 6 months Presidency of the EU, it was postulated that two criteria of the Presidency. be accounted for, namely, attractiveness (alignment The documents entitled ‘Priorities and programming of the Polish raisons d’être with simultaneous acquisition of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011’ of support for them among other Member States) and and ‘Criteria for defining sector priorities in the Polish the probability of attaining the goals assumed (avoiding Presidency of the EU Council’ were presented to the Council choices that do not allow progress). of Ministers on 27 of October 2009 and the council was As proposals of priority areas that were for the first provisionally familiarised with the documents.11 time formulated in a preliminary manner in the document Later, from March to May 2010, the sectors presented mentioned above, the following questions were initially draft proposals of priorities within the individual sector mentioned: councils at the Committee for European Affairs, to which » internal markets: new ways for revival of economic comments were submitted.12 growth after the crisis On 2 July 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs present- » relations with the East ed for the acceptance of the members of the Committee » EU energy policy / energy security for European Affairs a document concerning the pro- » negotiations of the new financial perspective. gramme of the Polish Presidency (as of June 2010), that is Emphasised at the same time was their preliminary the ‘Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency programme character, which is open to changes and the need to focus priorities in the second half of’. 2011 The document on such key notions as solidarity, competitive edge, cohe- was developed by the Interdepartmental Team for sion, openness and community. the Programming of the Presidency. On 22 September 2009, the document entitled ‘Kryteria The Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency also con- wyznaczania priorytetów sektorowych polskiego prze- tained a section concerning the possible determining wodnictwa w Radzie UE’ [Criteria for defining sector factors of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, from priorities in the Polish Presidency of the EU Council] was which, much like in the earlier document (Priorities also approved by the European Committee of the Council and programming of the Polish Presidency of the EU of Ministers. It pointed to the specific determining factors Council in 2011), mostly the following were pointed to: that should be taken into account jointly while the sector was choosing the given issue for the sector’s priority 11 Additionally, the document entitled ‘Priorities and programming of the Polish Presidency, including: of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011’ was – after being » the need to maintain the alignment of sector complemented with the ESDP issues, which operated under the ‘restricted’ clause – repeatedly presented to the European Committee priorities with the general strategic priorities – of the Council of Ministers, where it was accepted on 16 October 2009. based on the correlation of sector priorities with 12 Proposals of priorities for the sectors were later included in the section concerning the sector councils in the Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency programme priorities.

124 the EU agenda, the role of the Presidency after the Treaty of Lisbon, the economic crisis and the global context. The areas identified as preliminary priority directions, within which the priorities of the Polish Presidency would be fine-tuned, were a result of the work carried out until that point by the sectors. Moreover, they were discussed by the Council of Ministers in December 2009. The Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency pointed to: » the internal market » relations with the East » reinforcement of the external energy policy of the EU » Common Security and Defence Policy » negotiations of Multiannual Financial Frameworks for 2014–2020 » maximum use of Europe’s intellectual capital. Moreover, the Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency contained a section devoted to the priorities and programmes of sector councils, also in the context of the specific characteristics of these councils and the potential implications after the Treaty of Lisbon came into effect. Proposals of priorities for each of the 10 formations of the EU Council had earlier been the object of inter-sectoral debate in the forum of the Committee for European Affairs. In line with the assumptions, the document did not have a final character, but was primarily a description of the advancement of work on the grounds of which the Committee for European Affairs and later the Council of Ministers issued sectoral political guidelines for - fur ther work. The Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency provided a foundation which was modified at a later stage in line with the changing conditions. After the approval of the Preliminary list of the Polish Presidency by the Committee for European Affairs on 2 July 2009, the document was submitted to the session of the Council of Ministers on 21 July 2010 and was accepted. At the same time, with the support for the proposed priorities, assumed directions and working methods, further activities of ministries and central institutions were recommended in line with the methodology approved in the groups corresponding to the formations of the EU Council.

125 Report

3.4. The process of preparation of the 6-month programme

n 27 January 2011, members of the Committee for » Open Europe – additionally, besides the reinforce- OEuropean Affairs received from the Plenipotentiary ment of the Eastern Partnership and expansion information about the timetable of work on the ‘Six- of the EU, a new question arose: the Southern Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Neighbourhood and trade policy. Council in the second half of 2011’. Also presented was Besides the strategic section, the document contained the proposed structure of the Six-Month Programme – in line with the structure proposed – an operational part of the Polish Presidency and guidelines for developing describing the individual sector priorities, which were to the individual chapters. In line with the proposed struc- be implemented within the framework of the individual ture, the Six-Month Programme of the Polish Presidency sector councils. was – much like the programmes of other presidencies13 The document that was the first version of the ‘Six- – to be based on a strategic part (strategic priorities) and Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU operational part (10 chapters concerning the 10 sector Council in the second half of 2011’ was presented and councils). Envisaged at the end of the document, in line approved by the Committee for European Affairs on with the structure, was an annex which was to contain 8th March 2011. After the introduction of comments a calendar of sessions of the Councils and ministerial and self-amendments submitted by the Committee for meetings. The structure of the strategic part envisaged European Affairs, it was submitted for the consideration three priority areas, within which priorities were named: of the Council of Ministers, where it was granted op- » The EU leaving the crisis: achieved by the deepen- erational acceptance (on 15 March 2011). The Six-Month ing of the internal market, ambitious EU budget Programme of the Polish Presidency was also one (Multiannual Financial Framework 2014 – 2020) of the elements of the policy statement of the Minister and comprehensive use of the EU’s intellectual of Foreign Affairs on 16 March 2011. capital In March, April and May 2011, the further process » The EU and its external partners/neighbour- of internal and external consultations of the docu- hood, construed as a reinforcement of the Eastern ments and the priorities it contained continued mostly Partnership and expansion of the EU within the Interdepartmental Team for the Programming » Safe Europe – implemented through the Common of the Presidency. It was at this time that the programme Security and Defence Policy and external energy was for the first time translated (only into English). policy of the EU. The changes proposed by the sectors were just updates Sectors were obliged to deliver contributions to the Six- with the latest information and additionally accounted Month Programme of the Polish Presidency to the Ministry for were a great majority of comments (frequently just of Foreign Affairs by 14 February 2011. The materials stylistic) proposed by the European Commission and submitted were later aggregated and consulted (verified) the General Secretariat of the EU Council. at the Department of Economic Policy of the Ministry Presentation of the second version of the document of Foreign Affairs. In addition, they were harmonised and at the forum of the Committee for European Affairs took updated. place on 17 May 2011 and after the inclusion of changes The first draft of the Six-Month Programme of the Polish and comments submitted by the Committee for European Presidency was completed in February/March 2011. Affairs it was presented again for the consideration The document was to a great extent based on the struc- of the Council of Ministers (31 May 2011), where it ture proposed earlier; nevertheless, new priorities – pri- was approved. One of the most significant changes was marily economic growth – took shape during the work, the development of the second priority (Safe Europe) as: as a result of which its strategic part was focused on Safe Europe: Food, Energy, Defence. the following: Later, the priorities of the Polish Presidency were pre- » European integration as the source of growth – sented to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (on 8 June that is mostly economic growth and also the deep- 2011 at the session of the Committee for European Affairs ening of the internal market pointed to earlier, ne- of the Sejm and the Senate Committee on European Union gotiations of the Multiannual Financial Framework Affairs)14. Later, on 28 June 2011, during the 95th session 2014-2020 and comprehensive use of the EU’s of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, the ‘Government’s intellectual capital information on the priorities of the Polish Presidency » Safe Europe – that is energy security, defence of the European Union Council in the period 1 July – capacity (Common Security and Defence Policy) 31 December 2011’ was presented. and additionally strengthening economic management in the EU and food security 14 In line with the Act of 8 October 2010 (on cooperation of the Council of Ministers with the Sejm and Senate in matters related to the membership of the Republic of Poland in the European Union), no later than 13 This model of the structure of the Presidency programme was used ear- a month before holding the Presidency the priorities should be present- lier by the Hungarian, Belgian, Spanish, Swedish and Czech presidencies. ed to the Polish Parliament.

127 Report 3.4. The process of preparation of the 6-month programme

Given the nature of holding the Presidency in the second half of the year and faced with the fact that the results of the EU Council in June (and the work of Hungarian Presidency) could also influence the shape of the following Presidency, from the beginning the timetable made allowances for the need to account for them in the programme. In June 2011, after the presentations of the draft of conclusions of the EU Council, the sectors were obliged to submit information concerning what changes must be included in the Programme. These changes were represented in the annex approved by the Committee for European Affairs on 21 June 2011 – ‘Zmiany do Programu 6-miesięcznego polskiej prezydencji w Radzie UE w II połowie 2011 (w stosunku do dokumentu przyjętego przez Radę Ministrów w dniu 31.05.2011)’ [‘Changes to the Six-month programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2011’ (compared to the document adopted by the Council of Ministers on 31 May 2011)]. The remaining conclusions from the European Council (23-24 June 2011) were introduced in the ‘Six- Month Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2011’ document, which at that time had already been delivered for typesetting and printing.15 Analogous changes were introduced in all four electronic language versions. Finally, the electronic version of the document entitled ‘Program polskiej prezydencji w Radzie Unii Europejskiej’ (‘Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union’ in Polish and English version) was made available on the website of the Presidency on 1 July 2011 and soon afterwards also in the two remaining language versions (German on 19 July 2011 and French on 21 July 2011). Beginning in mid-July 2011, over 2000 copies of the publication entitled ‘Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union’ were distributed at the most important meetings during the Polish Presidency.

15 There were important decisions made at the session held on 23-24 June 2011. They concerned economic policy, migration, relations with the countries of North Africa and the Croatian accession to the EU. The Belgian Presidency followed a similar course, because of the Council of the European Union held in June and potential changes in the programme. Therefore, the Belgian Presidency developed its programme in the form of an internal document and slight amendments were introduced after the Council of the European Union.

128 3.5. Implementation of the programme

mplementation of the programme of the Polish furthering growth, the Polish Presidency paid special at- IPresidency continued efficiently and effectively. tention to this aspect, as a necessary element of anti-crisis Despite the financial crisis which clearly dominated the EU strategy. Using the Presidency report as the foundation, agenda causing a shift in the emphasis in the debate on the political debate on economic growth was initiated; its the future of the EU, Poland achieved most of the stated goal was the establishment of a pan-European consensus objectives. for implementation of initiatives favouring growth. These goals were included in the Programme As a result of the activities of Polish diplomacy, the con- of the Polish Presidency. In the strategic dimension, clusions of the June EU Council summoned the European the ambitions of the Presidency focused on three pri- Commission to report in October 2011 on the areas favour- orities. First, there was the effort for greater integration, ing growth. That step made it possible for the Presidency investment in Europe and favouring of economic growth. to conduct a discussion concerning the necessary initia- Secondly, the Presidency set itself the goal of develop- tives stimulating growth, whose conclusions, included in ing security understood in multidimensional terms: the approved motions, provided a powerful political as energy, internal and food security and reinforcement impulse for the implementation of these initiatives. of the Common Security and Defence Policy. The third On 6 October 2011, the Polish Presidency together with strategic priority was the effort to secure stable and trans- the European Commission organised a political conference parent relations with neighbours, openness to others and concerning the sources of growth in Europe. The grounds the closing of collaboration. for the discussion were provided by the Presidency re- This part presents specific actions taken to carry out port entitled ‘Towards a European consensus on growth’ these priorities. Sheer numbers point to the efficiency and the preliminary reports of the World Bank concern- of the work of the Polish Presidency. In the second half ing the European model of growth: ‘Golden Growth. of 2011, 48 conclusions and resolutions and 54 acts Restoring the lustre of the European economic model’. of law were approved and in 64 issues major progress The debate initiated by the conference encouraged great was achieved, allowing the work to reach significant involvement from the European Commission and prepa- milestones. Moreover, following the implementation ration of the report in writing. As a result, the European of the programme of the Polish Presidency, several dec- Commission published a communication entitled ‘A road- larations, reports and statements approved at the EU map for stability and growth’, presented by the President Council were established. of the European Commission to the European Parliament on 12 October 2011. Later, the conclusions from the conference and recom- 3.5.1. The legislative process and other mendations of the report of the Presidency were pre- elements of implementing sented for discussion during the session of the General Affairs Council (11 October 2011) and also during the mi- the programme ni-session of the European Parliament (13 October 2011). The General Affairs Council worked out an initial consensus concerning including a reference to the conference The Polish Presidency found a particular affinity with and the range of the initiative proposed by the Presidency the idea of ‘more Europe’, a community approach and in the report in the conclusions of the EU Council. the integrity of the EU. The goals defined were not In line with the intentions of the Polish Presidency, only ambitious but also based on an approach in which the October EU Council (23 October 2011) produced the European interest took the upper hand over the na- the final agreement concerning economic growth. In tional point of view. the conclusions, reference was made to the results Carrying out these goals occurred in an exceptionally of the political conference concerning the sources difficult period for the EU. The crisis focused the general of economic growth in Europe. Moreover, confirmation European debate on the problem of debt in the Eurozone, was given for the significance of encouraging growth in frequently shifting numerous other issues further on. For the anti-crisis strategy and the ambitious text of the con- that reason, the activity of Poland was to a significant clusion calling for priority significance to be awarded extent conditioned by the situation in global markets and to the implementation of selected initiatives identified the turbulences over the common European currency. by the Polish Presidency (including the implementation Despite these, the Polish Presidency undertook actions of initiatives as part of the Single Market Act, full imple- going beyond the perspective of the crisis, carrying out mentation of the services directive, building of the digital the approved priorities and strategic goals. market by 2015 and a decrease in administrative burdens, The Polish Presidency carried a powerful message: especially for small and medium-sized enterprises). Europe acts jointly. Based on the assumption that the most efficient form of fighting a crisis is the support of actions

129 Report 3.5. Implementation of the programme

The Presidency tried in its activities to go beyond Despite the efforts of the net payers to define top-down the perception of the crisis. An overarching intention the volume of the financial framework, the Member States of the Presidency was the long-term vision of a powerful, considered the proposal prepared by the Commission effective, ambitious and prosperous Europe. solid grounds for further negotiations. Favourably for Begun during the Polish Presidency were the negotia- Poland, the proposal of the Commission – even though tions over theMultiannual Financial Framework of the EU criticised by some states – was not rejected a priori, as it for 2014–2020 (MFF). The Presidency completed the first happened during the previous negotiations. stage of these negotiations, i.e. the explanation phase. Making reference to 2012 marking the 20th anniversary The goals of the Presidency were: of the establishment of the Single Market in the European » a detailed discussion of the proposal from Union and also to the important legislative initiatives the European Commission of the European Commission, the Polish Presidency made » establishing an opportunity for articulation of in- embarking on specific actions for the benefit of the ac- terests of all the Member States tual completion of the construction of the single market » an insight into all the negotiation issues. one of its main goals. An efficiently operating single -mar All the assumed goals were completed, as reflected ket is a key instrument for the reinforcement of economic in the report on the Presidency concerning the progress growth, which is especially significant in the long-term, in negotiating the financial framework. In the report, anti-crisis actions of the EU. the Presidency identified issues whose negotiations The main event concerning the promotion of the single would have to begin by the following Danish Presidency. market of the European Union during the Polish Presidency The report of the Presidency, taken down in the conclu- was the joint organisation of the Single Market Forum sions of the December EU Council, will therefore allow (SIMFO, Cracow, 2-4 October 2011) by the European a compromise to be sought in the Council in the matter Commission, European Parliament and Presidency. of the Multiannual Financial Framework in the first half The Forum gathered approximately 1200 people: politi- of 2012. Moreover, by objectively portraying the orienta- cians, entrepreneurs, employers and representatives tion debates conducted in the Council, the report points of trade unions and non-governmental organisations. to the fact that cohesion policy gained the comprehensive The anticipated and achieved goal of the SIMFO was to support of many Member States. increase the awareness of entrepreneurs and citizens During the debates in the Council conducted by about the benefits that result from the four freedoms the Polish Presidency, two groups of Member States with of the single market and are available for them and also colliding demands emerged. On the one hand, the eight the involvement of participants in the single market in its net payer states presented a joint list concerning curtail- further development. The discussion continued both during of the EU budget and on the other, 13 states presented ing the eighth parallel thematic workshops and also dur- a joint approach to the cohesion policy, supporting a pow- ing the Single Market Fair, where for three days citizens erful and properly financed cohesion policy. (more than 10,000 people were interested) could obtain The Polish Presidency ensured integrity of the process information concerning the competencies of individual of negotiating financial frameworks – questions of a finan- EU institutions and information and consulting networks cial nature are discussed at the General Affairs Council. supporting the operation of the single market. SIMFO par- Based on the assumption that the debate about ticipants jointly created the ‘Krakow Statement’, which the financial framework is in fact that about the shape provided the grounds for the conclusions of the Council of the Union and its policies for the successive years, concerning SIMFO results approved at the session the Presidency opened a discussion about the financial of the Council on Competitiveness (COMPET) on 5 frameworks for all the interested parties. A high-level December 2011. political conference concerning the future of the EU In the legislative dimension, the Polish Presidency budget, organised by the Polish Presidency, the European supported the initiatives and actions of the Commission Commission and the European Parliament gathered concerning the internal market and conducting work on representatives of national parliaments, governments, seven initiatives as part of the Single Market Act. Due EU institutions and civil society institutions. The success to the failure of the European Commission to present of the conference was corroborated by the decision a statement concerning e-commerce in the second half of the future Danish Presidency, which expressed the will to of 2011, the plans connected with the development organise a similar event in the coming half year. The Polish of the electronic services market in the EU could not be Presidency, carrying out the obligations of the preceding successfully completed. Hungarian Presidency and those resulting from the trea- In turn, in line with the assumptions, the Polish ties, also involved the European Parliament in the work Presidency initiated a discussion of potential activities on the Multiannual Financial Framework.

130 aimed at facilitation of conducting trans-border sales for 30 years and composed of: a regulation concerning contracts. the establishment of a uniform system of patent pro- From the very beginning of the Polish Presidency, tection; a regulation in the field of establishing a single much attention was devoted to industrial policy. On 29 system of patent protection in reference to language September 2011, the conclusions of the Council concern- solutions; and a draft international agreement concerning the competitive European economy were approved ing the establishment of the Single Patent Court. A suc- and earlier – on 21-22 July – an informal session of the EU cess of the Polish Presidency is the achievement of an Council on Competitiveness, an introductory debate for understanding between the European Parliament and the formal talks, was held. Besides the subject of efficient the Council and the conclusion of negotiations that were use of resources, the debate also touched upon more part of the first reading in the reference to the drafts general questions of the influence of regulations concern- of patent regulations. Moreover, the Presidency greatly ing environmental protection on industry. The discussion advanced the negotiations of the draft act on the Single proved a far-reaching consensus concerning the fact that Patent Court. After the session of the EU Council on the balance between industry and environmental action Competitivenesson 5 December 2011, only an issue of po- is important, so that the factors related to climate policy litical nature – the location of the Central Headquarters did not rule out the competitive edge of industry, espe- of the Court – remained to be agreed. cially in the face of numerous global challenges, primarily The main achievements of the Polish Presidency in including growth in competition from sunrise economies. the scope of the opening of the European market to This found its reflection in the text of the conclusion trade contacts with external partners were the actions of the Council, much like the idea of researching the influ- aimed at the normalisation of economic and trade rela- ence of major initiatives on competitive edge (competitions in the EU’s immediate vicinity, including those tiveness proofing). The Presidency also emphasised on within the Neighbourhood Policy, in both its Eastern and other occasions – with great support from other Member Southern dimensions. States – how significant the checking of the influence Realising the maximum use of the intellectual capital of every legislative initiative on the competitive edge of Europe priority was an example of a long-term activity of the EU is, whenever it is possible that such an influence undertaken with joint European interests in mind. This could occur, even indirectly. was related to embarking on and conducting an in-depth With the support of European entrepreneurs in mind, debate concerning the role of intellectual capital, among the Presidency conducted work on the conclusions others in the context of global challenges and the global of the EU Council concerning the flagship initiative in financial crisis and the economic slowdown in the forum industry policy, namely the strengthening of implementa- of the European Union. The frameworks of the debate tion of industrial policy in the EU. The conclusions identi- were defined by the recommendations of the EU Council fied priority actions in industrial policy aimed at improving from February 2011, which called for a strategic imple- EU competitiveness and also the course of actions in sup- mentation and an integrated approach used to stimulate porting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in us- innovation and maximum use of the intellectual capital ing opportunities in global markets (as an answer among of Europe with benefit for citizens, businesses – espe- others to the proposals of the European Commission cially small and medium-sized enterprises and scientists. pointed to in a communication concerning the inter- Actions for the reinforcement of the cohesion and syn- nationalisation of the SMEs). The conclusions envisage ergy between the politics and initiatives of the European solutions including a mapping exercise of SME support Union that will favour the complete use of the intellec- instruments in global markets to identify potential gaps tual capital of Europe were discussed during the work in the system and/or redundancies of activities. The con- concerning the functioning of partnerships for research clusions were approved at the session of the EU Council and innovation (designing and approval of the conclu- on Competitiveness on 5 December 2011. Moreover, sions of the EU Council on Competitiveness concerning the Presidency participated actively in the initiatives partnerships for research and innovation), modernisation of the European Commission concerning the facilitation of higher education institutions (designing and approval of access to capital markets and venture capital, also of conclusions of the EU Education, Youth, Culture and support of SMEs in the markets of non-EU states, among Sport Council concerning modernisation of higher edu- others by supporting a range of events including SME cation), cultural and creative competencies (designing Week (7 October 2011) and the SME Finance Forum (18 and approval of conclusions of the EU Education, Youth, October 2011). Culture and Sport Council concerning the cultural and One of the key priorities of the Presidency in the area creative competencies in the construction of the intellec- of the internal market was the completion of work on tual capital of Europe). the system of uniform patent protection, continuing

131 Report 3.5. Implementation of the programme

Maximum use of the intellectual capital of Europe was also was emphasised. In response, the Polish Presidency put the subject of the ministerial conference of the European forth a political initiative aimed at ensuring a coherent Research Area on ‘Intellectual Capital – Creative Impact’, and inclusive character of the emerging structure of eco- held in Sopot on 20 July 2011. Conclusions from the dis- nomic management. Developed was the ‘non-paper’ en- cussion were presented at a conference organised by titled Preserving Integrity of the European Union, which the European Commission and entitled ‘Innovation emphasised the necessity to maintain transparency Convention’, held on 5-6 December 2011 and devoted and inclusiveness of decision-making processes within to the implementation of the Innovation Union leading the Eurozone and presented specific procedure-related initiative. Numerous conferences organised by the Polish solutions. The Presidency’s ‘non-paper’ was the sub- Presidency also tackled the subject of intellectual capital, ject of discussion during the General Affairs Council (5 including the ‘3rd European Innovation Summit: Towards December 2011). The initiative was successful. The agree- a European Innovation Ecosystem: R&I strategies tailored ments of the leaders of the Eurozone made on 9 December to national and regional context’ (10-12 October 2011, 2011 envisaged that the President of the European Warsaw and Brussels), ‘The European integration process Council and the President of the European Commission in the new regional and global settings’ (19-20 October would generate a report concerning the relationships 2011), ‘Corporate governance. Perennial Issues? New between the Eurozone and the EU, which would ac- ideas’ (14-16 November 2011, Warsaw), ‘The European company a report on the furthering of fiscal integration. Forum on Forward Looking Activities’ (17 November As a result of further work, preparation of the said report 2011, Warsaw), ‘Knowledge transfer from universities was abandoned and instead the contents of the Treaty and public research organisations in Poland – contribu- on Stability, Coordination and Governance in EMU were tion to the smart growth’ (3 November 2011, Warsaw). agreed. This was signed on 2 March 2012 by 25 Member Strengthening economic management in the EU was States of the EU. The subject of the relationship between the main priority of the Polish Presidency in the area the EU and the Eurozone will be continued throughout of economy and finance. This premise was suggested by the Danish Presidency. the fact that the implementation of a strategic EU goal, Intending to increase stabilisation and a sense of se- namely the building of economic growth, is impossible curity, the Polish Presidency undertook to conduct work without ensuring security and stability of public finance. concerning the strengthening of energy security. The process of shaping a new system of economic man- Actions in the area of energy policy, especially in its agement in the EU, initiated by the previous presidencies, external dimension, accounted for one of the programme is a phenomenon that is both dynamic and complex. Its priorities of the Polish Presidency, as – in the face first important stage and at the same time a major success of the current economic crisis – ensuring stable sources of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, was the ap- of cheap energy is a significant source of growth and an el- proval of the so-called ‘six-pack’, that is the package of six ement of building the EU’s competitive edge in the world. acts of law (five regulations and a directive) strengthening The Polish Presidency achieved its set objective, namely, the coordination of economic policies in the EU, especially forming and gaining approval for a conclusion concerning in the Eurozone states. It came into force on 13 December the reinforcement of the external dimension of energy 2011. Four of the six ideas concerned public finance and, policy from ministers for energy. The grounds for the draft among others, reformed both the preventive and the cor- conclusion was the Communication on Security of Energy rective parts of the Stability and Growth Pact. Supply and International Cooperation – ‘The EU Energy As a result of the aggravation of the debt crisis, further Policy: Engaging with Partners beyond Our Borders’, pub- reforms of economic management were embarked on. lished by the European Commission on 7 September 2011. Work began on the so-called ‘two-pack’ (a draft of two An important contribution to the preparation of the con- resolutions presented by the European Commission on clusions of the Council was the preliminary discussion 30 November 2011), which additionally reinforces the su- of EU states concerning the external dimension of energy pervision of the budgetary policy of Eurozone Member policy of the EU, organised by the Polish Presidency at an States and supervision over the economic and budgetary informal session of energy ministers in Wrocław on 19- policies of the Eurozone states that are economically un- 20 September 2011. The conclusions were approved at stable, or which are threatened with such an instability. the first session of the Energy Council on 24 November The EU Council held in October agreed on the need to 2011. They emphasised that the external energy policy reinforce the economic convergence within the Eurozone, of the EU should be based on the principles of solidarity, further reinforcement of fiscal discipline and deepening transparency, collaboration and coordination of activities of the economic union, which provided a forecast of work of the EU and its Member States. Moreover, it should on the fiscal compact. At the same time, the need to contribute to the assurance of secure, safe, lasting and guarantee integrity of the European Union as a whole affordable energy. The conclusions included the following

132 priorities of actions for consolidation of the external en- with EU law. The draft decision is coherent with the pri- ergy policy: ority of the Polish Presidency, as it provides a significant » strengthening of coordination of the external element in operationalising the guidelines included in dimension of energy policy, among others, by the approved conclusions and reinforces the position the greater involvement of formal and informal of individual Member States and the EU as a whole in meetings of ministers for energy into the - exter the international dialogue on energy. The Polish Presidency nal dimension of energy policy, synchronisation conducted an intensive discussion at the working level, of work of various bodies of the Council and the in- creating an advanced new version of the document which volvement of the High Representative of the Union was passed to the Danish Presidency for further work. for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, coordination Besides the agreement on the guidelines included in of the EU position in international forums, includ- the general conclusions and concerning the strengthening MAE, IRENA, the Energy Charter Treaty and ing of the external dimension of energy policy, the Polish Energy Community, G8 and G20 Presidency also brought about the formal approval » strengthening of collaboration between EU and of the mandate for the European Commission to ne- non-EU states, based on the internal energy mar- gotiate a contract with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan ket, by strengthening and expansion of the Energy concerning the legal framework for the construction Community, strengthening of the Energy Charter of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline (12 September 2011). Treaty, development of energy infrastructure for The negotiations conducted by the European Commission the benefit of diversification of suppliers, supply are to prepare political and legal frameworks to facilitate pathways and energy sources for the EU the construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline con- » deepening energy partnerships (defining a coher- necting Azerbaijan with Turkmenistan, which –com- ent catalogue of principles for their formation), bined with the implementation of the Southern Corridor especially with Russia, the US and Japan; coordina- projects – will allow imports of Caspian gas to the EU. tion of EU actions towards China, India, Brazil and Following the conclusions of the EU Council of 4 February South Africa to promote secure, sustainable and 2011, the Southern Corridor is a priority corridor for im- climate-friendly energy policy porting large volumes of gas to the EU, as it is to provide » support for developing countries, especially in Europe with diversification of sources of supplies (besides Africa, as part of the EU development policy, the Norwegian, Russian and Algerian sources). including promotion of renewable energy and en- The Safe Europe: Food, Energy, Defence strategic prior- ergy efficiency for reducing poverty. ity was also established to emphasise the importance that The conclusions listed above were approved later by the Polish Presidency considered food security and agri- the Heads of States or Governments in the conclusions cultural policy to hold for the citizens of Europe. The pri- of the European Council of 9 December 2011, which ority came about as an answer to the forecast increase in made it possible to provide the conclusions with a stra- the global population, to emphasise the need for sustain- tegic dimension. The approval of the conclusion also able growth of production capacities of Europe, which gives an important political impulse in the implemen- should be ensured by the reformed Common Agricultural tation of the guidelines contained in the conclusions Policy. of the European Council of 4 February 2011 and the EU The Polish Presidency made a significant contribution Energy Strategy approved by the Council for 2011–2020. to building the reformed Common Agricultural Policy, At the same time, by the approval of these conclusions, which should provide food security, continue market the Polish Presidency – in keeping with its ambitions – orientation and account for the public good and mul- provided a specific contribution to the definition of exter- tifunctional development of rural areas. The actions nal EU energy policy and crowned the efforts undertaken conducted during the Polish Presidency emphasised by Poland before the Presidency. in a special manner the significance of good solutions Together with the presentation of the Communication on concerning the direct payments and support of develop- Security of Energy Supply and International Cooperation ment of rural areas and also agricultural produce quality mentioned above, the European Commission also pre- policy. The Presidency began intensive work on legislative sented a draft decision of the European Parliament and projects of the Commission concerning the Common Council establishing a mechanism for exchanging infor- Agricultural Policy by 2020. Despite the late publication mation and reference to international agreements in of the drafts by the European Commission, the Presidency the field of energy between Member States and non-EU made progress in work at both the political and the inter- states. The proposal of the European Commission intro- institutional level as well as and in the area of techni- duces among others the procedure of ex ante evaluation cal analysis. This progress in the work on the projects of contract drafts from the point of view of their cohesion achieved should make it possible for the subsequent

133 Report 3.5. Implementation of the programme

countries of the trio to conduct the process of working » ustreamlining the process of planning and out the position of the Council and continuation of the di- conducting EU operations by the activation alogue with the European Parliament efficiently. of the Operations Centre The overarching goal of the Polish Presidency in » confirmation of the usefulness of the Battle Groups the scope of the Common Security and Defence Policy and recognition of the need for joint financing (CSDP) was the improvement of efficiency of this policy of strategic transport and reinforcement of the image of Poland as a state » approval of the obligation to conduct multinational involved in its development. Moreover, the Presidency pooling and sharing projects by Member States aimed to define a new, active role of the Polish Presidency » confirmation of the political significance of the close in the post-Lisbon institutional architecture. collaboration between EU and NATO and col- The specific character of the CSDP required that work laboration between the EU and Eastern Partners had been launched many months before the Polish (for the first time in a document of the status Presidency. The key element of the preparations was of a Council conclusion). the joint letter of ministers of foreign affairs and defence The Polish Presidency was motivated by the idea of an of the Weimar Triangle states to High Representative open Europe . The starting point was the assumption that Catherine Ashton, delivered on 6 December 2010. the involvement of Member States in the foreign policy Despite certain delays in the work at the beginning of the EU and capacity of the Union to promote its val- of the Polish Presidency (lack of agreement on the FAC ues and interests in the world efficiently should reflect conclusion), the deadlock was successfully resolved and the scale of global challenges for Europe and the politi- the strong support of partners, including Italy and Spain, cal vision which provided the grounds for the integration was obtained. of the continent. The Polish Presidency undertook efforts for reinforce- Carried out during the Polish Presidency was a new, ment of the EU military capacity and especially improving strengthened EU offer for the neighbourhood, both in the usefulness of the EU Battle Groups, development Eastern Europe and in the Southern dimension. The de- of the initiative for pooling and sharing defence capacities velopment of the European Neighbourhood Policy was and streamlining the structure of planning EU operations. one of the important goals of the Polish Presidency As a result, the EEAS was obliged in 2012 to develop con- as part of the ‘Europe benefiting from openness’ priority. crete proposals of actions and reinforcing the use of the EU The actions of the Polish Presidency in this field followed Battle Groups; the Declaration of the Council concerning three major courses: the joint financing of strategic transport of the Battle 1) implementation of the agreements from the re- Groups in 2012–2013 was also approved. Moreover, view of the European Neighbourhood Policy made the Council approved a catalogue of 11 pooling and in 2010–2011, including the financial realm sharing projects and decided to activate the Operations 2) reinforcement of the Eastern Partnership Centre for the needs of CSDP in the Horn of Africa. 3) development of relations between the European The Presidency undertook actions for the strengthening Union and the Southern Neighbourhood region, of CSDP civilian capacity, especially in reference to the im- following the events of the Arab Spring. plementation of two Civilian Headline Goals and collabo- Initiated during the Polish Presidency was ration between the external and internal area of security the preliminary discussion concerning the financing of the European Union (the so-called relations between of the Neighbourhood Policy in the period 2014–2020, the CSDP and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice together with the publication of a draft regulation on (AFSJ) as an element of a broader effort for promotion the establishment of the European Neighbourhood of synergy between the internal and external dimensions and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) by the European of security). Commission. The Presidency undertook efforts serving the reinforce- As part of the ‘Europe benefiting from openness’ ment of collaboration between the EU and its partners. priority, the Polish Presidency significantly contributed It initiated a discussion concerning the strengthening to the development of collaboration with EU’s eastern of practical collaboration between the EU and the Eastern neighbours by intensive activities within the scope Partners, proposing specific solutions. Moreover, it sup- of the Eastern Partnership policy. The 2nd Summit ported the High Representative in the reinforcement of the Eastern Partnership (29-30 September 2011) in of the dialogue between the EU and NATO. Warsaw at the level of heads of state and government The crowning of the efforts of the Presidency was was the most important event in the area of external af- the approval of the December conclusions of the Foreign fairs of the European Union during the Polish Presidency. Affairs Council (FAC) concerning CSDP and referring to all It served to conclude the actions conducted so far and Polish proposals, namely: offer a definition of the new ambitious goals concerning the subsequent stages of political association and

134 economic integration of partner countries with the EU in the current and future programmes of the European and adjustment of partner states to EU standards. It was Union. one of the most visible events of the Polish Presidency, Aiming at deepening the sectoral collaboration by showing its organisational efficiency and primarily by of the Eastern Partnership, the Presidency organised serving the achievement of progress in the area of EU a range of meetings at ministerial level, of higher officers relations with the states of Eastern Europe, a significant and experts, including a conference of ministers of econ- one for Poland. omy, transport and agriculture of the Eastern Partnership; The Joint Declaration approved at the Summit, which a debate of the ministers of higher education of the Eastern provides a political signal concerning further deepening Partnership, a conference for the heads of customs ser- of integration of partner states with the EU, contains am- vices of the Eastern Partnership, a meeting of the heads bitious clauses concerning: founding the Partnership on of statistical services of the Eastern Partnership and expert shared values and recognition of the European aspirations conferences in the area of migration, combating crime of partner states; an announcement of full integration related to drugs and human trafficking, collaboration on of partner states with the EU’s internal market and in fu- climate (including a two-day workshop on climate for ture the establishment of an EU–Eastern Partnership joint the states of the Eastern Partnership), fighting corruption; economic area; confirmation of the intention to establish energy, security, education; and culture, customs and in- a visa-free regime and also deepening of sector collabo- dustrial property. Currently, the European Commission is ration. The Declaration also included an announcement working on the further development of sectoral collabo- of EU programmes being opened to citizens from partner ration on the grounds of the actions initiated by the Polish states. According to the decisions made in the Declaration Presidency. of the Warsaw Summit of the Eastern Partnership, nego- As part of the aspirations for the idea of open Europe, tiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area the Polish Presidency undertook to establish a compromise (DCFTA) agreements with Georgia and Moldova were concerning its expansion. During the work, the Presidency inaugurated and the negotiations of the EU-Ukraine followed the motto of the Solidarity movement: ‘Daringly, Association Agreement, covering DCFTA, were conclud- but with deliberation’. The questions of expanding the EU ed. Similarly, the efforts of the Presidency to establish ranked high in the agenda of the Presidency, in line with the Eastern Partnership Business Forum (with the found- the current position of Poland, pointing to the strategic ing meeting taking place in Sopot on 30 September importance of the process for the reinforcement of se- 2011) ended in success. Moreover, the Presidency sup- curity and stability in Europe. The adopted objective was ported the organisation of the 3rd Eastern Partnership achieved, namely ensuring progress in the implementa- Civil Society Forum (28-30 November 2011) in Poznań, tion of the expansion strategy. which was also the site of the inaugural session Initiated in 2010/2011, the events of the Arab Spring, of the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities which encompassed most states of Northern Africa and for the Eastern Partnership and the EU (CORLEAP, 8 the Near East (the so-called EU Southern Neighbourhood September 2011). Held during the Polish Presidency was being part of the European Neighbourhood Policy) and the first formal session of the EURONEST Parliamentary partially the Arab Peninsula, dominated the EU agenda Assembly (EU/Eastern Partnership inter-parliamentary in matters related to external affairs in 2011 and shaped forum). Moreover, following an initiative of the European the priorities of the Polish Presidency in the second half Commission, organised in collaboration with the Polish of 2011. On the one hand, a challenge for the current EU Presidency (Ministry of National Education, Ministry policy was the endeavour for stabilisation and security in of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Science and its environment and reaction to the dynamically chang- Higher Education and Ministry of Sport and Tourism) was ing situation in the region. On the other, the goal was a conference entitled ‘Eastern Dimension of Mobility’ to present the states of the South with a new, effective (Warsaw, 6-7 July 2011). The conference provided a signif- offer of cooperation and support for the process of demo- icant contribution to the European Neighbourhood Policy, cratic transformations. Following the above, the ac- especially by emphasising the significance of the Eastern tivities of the Polish Presidency in the strategic dimension Partnership. Special attention was paid to the mobil- aimed at supporting EU institutions and intensification ity of students, teachers, academics, young people and of bilateral actions channelled into the implementation businesses from the sporting and cultural sectors. A par- of the new approach/new partnership in relations with ticipant in the conference was Ms Androulla Vassiliou, EU the states of the Southern Neighbourhood, by forming Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, a new offer of collaboration and a flexible set of instru- Sport, Media and Youth. In the conclusions approved, ments for supporting the democratic transformation participants appealed, among others, for the strengthen- and also short-term assistance as an answer to current ing of participation of entities from partnership countries events. The goal of the Polish Presidency was to bring

135 Report 3.5. Implementation of the programme

about the establishment of a flexible financial mechanism efforts on leading up to the approval of the arrangements of support for the construction of democratic institutions that would maintain the credibility of the WTO. As a result and civil society in the form of the European Endowment of the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference (15-17 December for Democracy and – in bilateral relations – sharing of ex- 2011), a facilitation package for the states at the lowest periences in transformation from the last two decades level of development (the LDC countries) was approved. with the states of the Southern Neighbourhood. A significant element of the package is the approval During the Polish Presidency, the European Union of the so-called waiver on services for the LDCs, which al- continued support for the democratic transformations lows preferential treatment of these countries in the ser- in Tunisia and Egypt and also the reconstruction of state- vices trade, approval of a simplified path of WTO acces- hood in Libya. It also undertook to embark on the nego- sion for LDC states, approval of a moratorium concerning tiations of an in-depth and versatile free-trade zone with the application of the Agreement on Trade-Related four states of the region (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco). Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS WTO) The European Union launched the SPRING initiative, towards these countries and a moratorium concerning which included the programming of additional aid funds e-commerce. Moreover, despite the continuing deadlock, (€ 350 million) for the Southern Neighbourhood. Initiated the continuation of the Doha Round negotiations was was a process of the so-called dialogues for migration decided. A measurable achievement of the Conference with selected states of the Southern Neighbourhood, is the completion of the 12-year-long WTO negotiations which are to bring about the establishment of partner- on the access to the market of public procurement by ships on migration. revising the Agreement on Government Procurement As far as the EU Common Commercial Policy is (GPA), which will significantly increase the value of trade concerned, significant for the Polish Presidency were exchange covered by public procurement. actions aimed at the normalisation of business and trading relations in the close vicinity of the EU, including the Neighbourhood Policy: in both its Eastern and Southern dimensions. The most important achievements of the Presidency in the Eastern dimension include: » agreeing the conditions of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Russia’s accession to the WTO » signing an understanding between the EU and the Russian Federation normalising the question of flights over Siberia: an issue important for European airlines (including LOT) » finalising the negotiations of the contract on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) EU – Ukraine, part of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, whose negotiations fin- ished in December 2011 » embarking on analogous DCFTA negotiations with Georgia and Moldova, which the European Commission officially announced on 12 December 2011. In the southern dimension of trade policy, the assumption of a mandate for the negotiations of DCFTA agreements between the EU and the countries of Northern Africa (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia) was successfully achieved. In addition, accession of Montenegro to the WTO and acceptance of EU autonomous trade preferences for the Western Balkans were achieved. Faced with the lack of real opportunity for closing negotiations within the Doha WTO Round, the Presidency – as agreed with the European Commission – focused its

136 3.6. General Affairs Council

3.6.1. Enlargement Challenges’ and ‘The Western Balkans on the Path to the European Union’.

uring the Polish Presidency, important decisions Don European Union enlargement policy were 3.6.2. Multiannual Financial Framework taken. On 5 December 2011, the General Affairs Council endorsed a ‘new approach’ to the relevant negotiations, consisting in the earliest possible opening of negotiations The General Affairs Council examined all the financial in the most difficult chapters (the judiciary and funda- and horizontal aspects of the Multiannual Financial mental rights, justice, freedom and security). Framework. It was an undisputable achievement The Polish Presidency closed the last chapter of the proof the Polish Presidency that Member States accepted cess of Croatia’s accession to the EU. Work was finalised the Polish-sponsored operating methodology, including on the text of the Accession Treaty with Croatia, which the leading role of the General Affairs Council, and recog- was signed on 9 December 2011. Croatia’s accession to nised the Commission proposals on the MFF as the basis the EU will serve as a positive example and encourage for further debate. other countries of the Western Balkans to implement The European Commission unveiled its proposals on European reforms. the financial framework on 18 July 2011, while European We secured considerable progress in accession negoti- affairs ministers met in informal session in Sopot on 28 ations with Iceland. During two accession conferences in and 29 July 2011 – an event that marked the opening October and December 2011, we opened seven chapters of political-level debate on the EU financial perspective and closed negotiations in six chapters. for the years 2014-2020. We maintained the process of accession negotiations The technical-level works were conducted within with Turkey. The lack of progress in resolving the Cyprus the framework of the Friends of the Presidency Group question and Ankara’s delay in implementing reforms (MFF 2014-2020) and also by other groups includ- (caused, among other things, by the slow pace of paring the Working Party on Own Resources – within liamentary work connected with elections) prevented the framework of which, in addition to group discussion, the opening of negotiations in new chapters. Still, despite the Presidency organised two technical seminars: on serious difficulties in the relations between Turkey and the methodology of cohesion-policy-related allocation Cyprus, a lack of enthusiasm in some European capitals calculations and on Common Agricultural Policy. for Turkey’s accession to the EU and Ankara’s growing A number of orientation debates were held during sub- assertiveness in the realm of foreign policy, the Polish sequent sessions of the General Affairs Council. During Presidency managed to broker a balanced text of the rel- the debate on 12 September 2011, all the Member States evant GAC conclusions. concurred as to the duration of the financial framework. The Presidency ensured progress in the process The November session of the General Affairs Council saw of European integration of Western Balkan states. an orientation debate on cohesion policy, the ‘Connecting The path was opened to the beginning of accession ne- Europe’ Facility, the Common Agricultural Policy and gotiations with Montenegro in June 2012. The General the Common Fisheries Policy. The debate on cohesion Affairs Council conclusions adopted in December 2011 policy focused, in particular, on macro-conditionality, also signify a substantial strengthening of the EU’s rela- the new category of transitional regions, and limits on tions with Kosovo. cohesion-policy allocations. Concerning the Common In September 2011, the Polish Presidency brokered Agricultural Policy, the Member States did not take an a balanced text of General Affairs Council conclusions unequivocal position as regards the issue of equalising on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) direct payments. for Romania and Bulgaria. A comprehensive review On 23 November 2011, COREPER II held an orientation of the CVM’s five year in existence is scheduled for debate on the EU’s own resources. Most Member States mid-2012. favoured reform of the present system and opposed any The Polish Presidency also implemented a number corrective mechanisms. The debate on a financial-trans- of crucial undertakings in support of the diplomatic action tax and a new VAT-based resource did not produce process designed to achieve further EU enlargement. conclusions and requires further discussion and clarifica- On 14 November 2011, foreign ministers of the Member tions by the Commission. States attended an ‘Enlargement Forum’ in Brussels. At the December General Affairs Council, the Presidency In September 2011, Warsaw hosted two confer- summed up the work on the MFF. It presented a progress ences: ‘The Future of Enlargement - Opportunities and report which was received as a balanced and uncontro- versial document. The Presidency report on the MFF,

137 Report 3.6. General Affairs Council

noted in the December conclusions of the European the discussions in these two negotiation blocks during Council, has good prospects for becoming the basis for subsequent presidencies. further negotiations under the Danish Presidency. Simultaneously, issues connected with the present stage of cohesion policy programming appeared on the Council agenda and it became essential to institute two amend- 3.6.3. Cohesion policy as an effective and ments to the present regulation 1083/2006: an amend- territorially diversified response to ment on repayable assistance and financial-engineering instruments as well as an amendment of the regulation it- European Union development self regarding increased financing for countries in difficult challenges financial straits. The Polish Presidency efficiently worked out the Council position on these proposals and wrapped up the whole Union legislative process by the end of 2011. It was the primary goal of the Polish Presidency in the area of cohesion policy to initiate and advance as far as possible negotiations on the Commission’s proposals concerning policy regulations for the period 2014-2020. 3.6.4. First review of EU Strategy for Despite the early stage of the negotiations on the next Baltic Sea Region Multiannual Financial Framework and the cohesion-policy legislative packet for the years 2014-2020, the Polish Presidency ensured that issues pertaining to the policy The Polish Presidency completed a review were addressed at a high political level. The future shape of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). On of cohesion policy was taken up on three occasions by 15 November 2011, the General Affairs Council adopted the General Affairs Council (11 October, 15 November the related conclusions. They incorporate a number and 16 December 2011). of practical recommendations meant to stimulate the im- Within two months after the launching of the nego- plementation of the EUSBSR, which two years after its tiations, the Polish Presidency managed to table compro- inception was struggling with a number of problems mise proposals on strategic programming and thematic (need to upgrade Strategy management by strengthening concentration, which the Danish Presidency will use the role of the EC and boosting the political engagement as the basis for further work aimed at reaching final of Member States at various levels of administration; consensus. need for the definition of clear goals and indicators, The first-ever formal meeting of ministers responsible facilitating Strategy evaluation; provision of sufficient for cohesion policy — organised within the framework financing by involving cohesion policy and other sectoral policies in EUSBSR implementation). On 24-26 October of the General Affairs Council on 16 December 2011 — nd became the primary high-level political event. The discus- 2011 the Presidency co-hosted the 2 EUSBSR Forum in Gdańsk titled ‘New Ambitions for the Baltic Sea Region’, sion was based on the ‘Presidency report on negotiations th of the legislative package of cohesion policy for the years combined with the 13 Baltic Development Forum 2014-2020’. The report covered the period up to the end Summit. of November 2011 and identified consensus areas as well as issues requiring further work with regard to four thematic negotiation blocks (strategic programming, the- 3.6.5. European Economic Area, cooperation matic concentration, conditionality and territorial devel- with EFTA countries opment). On its basis, the Polish Presidency pinpointed the key issues pertaining to strategic programming and thematic concentration that needed to be addressed in The Polish Presidency saw the establishment of an orientation debate by the ministers. informal EU-Switzerland negotiation group which held At their meeting, the ministers gave high marks to two rounds of horizontal meetings by high-level experts the Presidency report; the related debate was fruitful and for the purpose of resolving contentious issues related highlighted the preferences of the majority of Member to the different approaches of the parties to the mode States on the topics in question. The debate conclusions, of conducting negotiations and selecting negotiation compiled by the Presidency in the ‘Summary of the orien- areas. Simultaneously, the European Commission and tation debate on cohesion policy post-2013 in the frame- the European External Action Service pursued negotia- work of the General Affairs Council meeting’ (Brussels, tions concerning the code of conduct on business taxa- 16 December 2011) was conveyed to the Member States tion and exchange of tax information with Switzerland and will serve as the basis for further work finalising and Liechtenstein.

138 Following a debate on the deepening of relations with Federation concerning the updating of the ‘Convention on micro-states, a currency agreement with the Principality Nuclear Safety and the Convention on Early Notification of Monaco was signed on 30 November 2011. of a Nuclear Accident’. The initiative was assessed as valu- The EFTA working group reviewed the implementation able and potentially enhancing international nuclear of the EEA/EFTA Financial Mechanisms and the Swiss safety. Financial Assistance Programme designed to reduce In view of the lack of acceptance by producers, suppliers social and economic disparities in the new EU Member and users of proposed legal norms concerning the safety States. It also conducted a preparatory discussion before of radio isotope supplies for medical use, no agreement the EEA Agreement Review scheduled by the EC in spring was reached concerning the establishment of a ‘Joint 2012, and also a debate on the progress and prospects Undertaking’ — as had been postulated by the European of the negotiations to liberalise trade with Norway in Commission. The matter will require further consulta- processed agricultural products. The Polish Presidency tions amongst all the interested parties. conducted a discussion concerning the basis for negotiation of another perspective of the EEA/EFTA Financial Mechanisms and potential talks with Switzerland regard- 3.6.7. Integration and optimization of ing the continuation of financial assistance. the European Statistical System During the 36th session of the Council of the European Economic Area on 15 November 2011, a debate was held on ways of countering the economic-financial cri- With regard to the regulation concerning European sis. The participants adopted conclusions summarising statistics on permanent crops and revision of the regu- the state of cooperation between the EU and non-EU EEA lation on statistical returns concerning road transport Member States. The discussion also covered the func- of goods, the Polish Presidency — following negotiations tioning of the EEA Agreement, with special reference to with the European Parliament — worked out compromise the implementation of the ‘acquis communautaire’ in proposals that permitted the completion of the related the EEA countries. legislative procedures. The two acts were approved by the EP and the Council in first reading. Substantial progress was made in work on a regulation 3 .6 .6 . Nuclear issues regarding the European System of National and Regional Accounts in the European Union (ESA 2010); it is likely to have significant impact on the adoption of key EU Crowning earlier work by the Hungarian Presidency, decisions. the Polish Presidency brought about the adoption by A regulation on European statistics concerning safety the Council of a directive laying down the Community from crime was also included in the Council’s work. framework in the sphere of responsible and safe manage- A compromise document was drafted, receiving the en- ment of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. dorsement of a clear majority of the Member States. The Working Party on Atomic Questions (WPAQ) initi- Since the Commission motion concerning a regulation ated discussion and reached full agreement concerning on the European Statistical Program 2013-2017was only a draft directive that defines the basic requirements submitted to the Council on 21 December 2011, it could concerning health protection related to radioactive sub- not be taken up by the Polish Presidency. stances in water intended for human consumption. Also, the Group started discussions on revision of the directive introducing basic safety norms related to ionising radia- 3.6.8. Integrated maritime policy tion. The Polish Presidency conducted the first exchange of opinions concerning key issues regulated by the proposed directive and suggested the structure of further The Polish Presidency was instrumental in the first-read- discussion on the issue, endorsed by Denmark. ing adoption of a regulation establishing the Programme Fulfilling the European Council conclusions of 24 and 25 to support the further development of an integrated March 2011, the WPAQ monitored the progress of stress maritime policy. tests in EU nuclear power plants — with particular note The launching of the Programme, covering the years to nuclear safety and security measures; the task was car- 2011-2013, will stimulate the further development ried out by the Ad Hoc Group on Nuclear Security. of the maritime sector, in consequence enhancing living Regarding the promotion of nuclear safety on standards in the EU. The adopted regulation provides that a global scale, agreement was reached on the response the programme will be financed with 40 million EUR in of the Euratom Community to the initiative of the Russian

139 Report 3.6. General Affairs Council

re-allocations and current budget expenditures in the pe- of the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice, the crea- riod from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. tion of the post of Vice-President of the Court, its inter- The funds envisaged in the regulation include nal organization, the postulate to increase the number 23.14 million EUR out of the 2011 budget, 16.66 million of judges, and issues pertaining to the selection of addi- EUR — including a technical assistance allocation — ac- tional judges. The works on reform of the Court of Justice cepted by the Council in the reading of the 2012 budget will be continued. and another 200,000 EUR in technical assistance, which is to be included in the 2013 budget. During the Polish Presidency, the EU Council adopted conclusions on the integrated maritime policy of the EU. The conclusions noted the contribution of the integrated maritime policy towards meeting the objectives set in the Europe 2020 Strategy by harnessing the potential of Europe’s maritime and coastal economy through advanced knowledge and innovation and by supporting the development of better jobs and qualifications to meet the need of greater global competition. In addition to items envisaged in its agenda, the Presidency succeeded in brokering an agreement on the obligatory preparation by Member States - and transmission to the European Commission - of documents explaining the degree of convergence between EU directives and national transposition measures, i.e. documents constituting a synthetic compilation ofdi- rective provisions and their corresponding national law provisions in each of the Member States. That put a conclusion to months-long discussions between experts from Member States and the European Commission, which - for procedural reasons - had blocked the legislative process in EU institutions. Two joint political declarations on the explanatory documents were worked out and then affirmed by the Member States on 29 September 2011 and by the European Parliament at its plenary session on 27 October 2011. In line with the declarations, the EC has the task of identifying and substantiating which directives, due to their character, require - after being adopted - the transmission of documents with information on their transposition by the respective Member States. At the same time, Member States undertook that in justified cases – indicated in the preamble of the given directive – they would prepare such explanatory documents and transmit them to the Commission. The Polish Presidency saw the initiation and significant advancement of discussions on reforms of the European Union’s Court of Justice, i.e. legislative changes in the statute of the Court of Justice and annex 1 to the statute, as proposed in the Court’s submission of 28 March 2011. The Polish Presidency initiated the first discussion on the proposed reforms at the level of European affairs ministers during a meeting of the General Affairs Council on 18 July 2011. Next, the Working Party on the Court of Justice conducted a detailed technical analysis of the proposed changes: it considered the composition

140 3.7. Foreign Affairs Council

3.7.1. EU external relations the Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) organised in September 2011 in Sopot. The assumed programme for the development and lose collaboration of Presidency with the President reinforcement of the Eastern Partnership must be Cof the European Council, the High Representative considered completed. The 2nd summit of the Eastern of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Partnership in Warsaw was conducted successfully, and the European External Action Service (EEAS), and the Joint Declaration signed by its participants included the European Commission allowed efficient coordination – as suggested by the Presidency – clauses corroborating of the issues concerning the external policy of the EU. the intention of a further deepening of integration of part- One of the main goals of the Polish Presidency was ner states with the EU, recognition of their European the strengthening of the role of the European Union on aspirations, striving for economic integration with the EU the international stage and emphasising its efficiency market, and for the development of a visa-free regime, in the capacity of an organisation using the potential and also regarding the deepening of sector collaboration of Member States and EU institutions. The achievement and opening of UE agencies and programmes for the citi- of the Polish priorities concerning the external relations zens of partner states. Moreover, the document quoted of the EU was held in agreement with and with the support the EU’s obligation to earmark €1.9 billion for carrying of actions undertaken by High Representative Catherine out the goals of the Eastern Partnership in 2010–2013, Ashton, in her capacity of President of the Foreign Affairs an amount that the EU additionally increased by € 150 Council. million allocated for the period up to 2013. Thanks to The Presidency took place at the time when EEAS the intensive efforts of Poland, the unity of the EU con- was taking shape, amid ensuing challenges related to cerning the conditional quality of policy towards Belarus the development of the principles of its operation. This was retained during the Presidency. concerned both internal (development of the organisa- These activities were complemented with the ini- tional structure of the Service, fine-tuning of the relation- tiation of the Eastern Partnership Business Forum,- or ships between the EEAS with European institutions and ganisation of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Member States) and external (carrying out the priorities Forum of the Eastern Partnership, launching of regional of operation of the Service on the international stage) EU co-operation (CORLEAP) and parliamentary (EURONEST) dimensions. collaboration and more than ten sector meetings with Developed by Poland, the co-operative model of col- Eastern partners. laboration with the High Representative and the EEAS had The fruit of the debates inspired by the Presidency and aims that included emphasising the mutual benefits stem- supported by the High Representative was the adopting ming from the involvement of the diplomacy of the state of conclusions concerning the Polish initiative (December holding the Presidency in the activity of the EEAS. In this 2011) to establish the European Endowment for way, the model favoured the accounting for the inter- Democracy at the forum of the Council. Presented for ests of the rotating presidency in the process of shaping the first time by Poland in January 2011, the proposal to the agenda of external EU policy. Despite a more active establish the Endowment will provide – after its launch (compared to the previous presidencies) model of collab- planned for 2012 – an innovative element in supporting orating with the EEAS, in its activities Poland did not go be- democratic and stabilising activities in the neighbourhood yond the framework drafted by the provisions of the Treaty of the Union by the EU, and in consequence, a rapproche- of Lisbon. It must be emphasised that the practice of re- ment in relations between the EU and non-EU states. placing – in specific cases – the High Representative by The Endowment will allow flexible and quick reaction the Polish Presidency in contacts with third party partners to the needs of emerging democracies. The idea behind and at the forum of the European Parliament (as agreed the establishment of the Endowment was the main initia- with the EEAS) found recognition from the Service itself, tive of the Presidency for the reinforcement of democrati- which addressed the Danish Presidency, asking for con- sation processes in the vicinity of the EU. tinuation of this mode of operation. The Polish Presidency was active in the field of sup- The Polish priorities related to the deepening of rela- porting democratisation and construction of modern tions with the countries of the Eastern Partnership, re- state structures in the countries of Northern Africa. inforcement of the processes of stabilisation and de- Moreover, it provided the necessary humanitarian aid. mocratisation in the regions neighbouring the European The Polish presence in the region at the political level Union, and the development of the Common Security – including on behalf and in agreement with the High and Defence Policy (CSDP) provided in the past half-year Representative – provided a complementation of Polish a significant element of the discussion during the indi- consulting and training initiatives. Promotional activities vidual sessions of the Foreign Affairs Council, including included the Warsaw conference at the level of higher

141 Report 3.7. Foreign Affairs Council

officials devoted to the collaboration with the countries 3.7.2. Collaboration for development of the Eastern Neighbourhood. and humanitarian aid As a part of the priority regarding the development of Common Security and Defence Policy, the Presidency facilitated the adoption of the conclusion of the Foreign With respect to the distributed nature of competencies Affairs Council regarding all the proposals under discus- of the EU and Member States in the area of collabora- sion. A decision regarding better use of existing struction on development and the new institutional order tures and the improvement of the capacity to plan CSDP of the EU (the role of the EEAS), Poland made sure that operations and missions at the strategic level, including the role of the Presidency was appropriately taken into the launching of the Operations Centre for operations in consideration. the Horn of Africa (for the first time in the history of CSDP) Serving that goal was the informal meeting of the min- was made. The solutions adopted, assuming among oth- isters for development in Sopot on 14-15 July 2011, ers reinforcement of anticipative planning, are to speed which was convened as a sole initiative of the Presidency up decision making at the political level, improve infor- to discuss the most important issues in the EU develop- mation exchange, assure better synergy on the civilian- ment agenda, including ones significant from the point military interconnection, and improve collaboration with of view of Poland, and including the role of democracy for other international organisations. development and development strategy for the countries Thanks to the efforts of the Polish Presidency, issues of Central Asia. It is worth noting that the programme of key importance for the further development of the de- of the Danish Presidency does not envisage an assembly fensive capacity of the EU were discussed. Poland main- of the Informal Development Council. tained the interest of Member States in the subject Poland actively participated in the preparations for of increasing the efficiency of the Battle Groups, while in the 4th High Level Forum on Effective Assistance in Pusan, 2012 the EEAS structures were obliged to resend specific held from 29 November to 1 December 2011. Thanks to proposals of actions serving the use of the Battle Groups. the intensive efforts, a representative of the Presidency Also adopted was a declaration regarding the increase participated as an observer in the sessions of the Sherpa of the scope of joint financing of strategic transport Group, whose task was to work out the draft of the final of the Battle Groups on duty in 2012–2013. On 8 December document of the Forum. During the Forum, the Presidency 2011, the Council adopted the declaration regarding played the role of the coordinator of EU position and the financing of all the types of strategic inbound and out- activities. bound transport of the EU Battle Groups from the Athena Poland was also the host of the 4th European mechanism. During the Polish Presidency a decision that Development Days, held in Warsaw on 15 and 16 Member States would carry out 11 specific programmes December 2011. The leading themes of the event were as a part of the Pooling and Sharing initiative was reached. development and democracy. During the conference, It was also decided that the implementation of these pro- plenty of attention was also devoted to the question of- ef grammes should run coherently with the work of NATO ficiency of aid, in relation to the 4th High Level Forum on conducted as a part of the Smart Defence initiative. Effective Assistance in Pusan, Korea (29 November to 1 For the first time, the Presidency introduced the sub- December 2011). ject of reinforcing collaboration in the CSDP area with At the forum of the EU, the Presidency reacted in real the Eastern neighbours of the EU – the states of the Eastern time to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Partnership and Russia – into the discussion of the Foreign the Horn of Africa. On 18 July 2011, the Polish Presidency Affairs Council. The Polish Presidency presented a range summoned an extraordinary session of the working of relevant realistic proposals, concerning matters such group for humanitarian aid in Brussels, during which as collaboration and training, systematic political dia- the representatives of the world’s largest humanitarian logue, collaboration with the EU in reforming the secu- organisations (including UNHCR, UNICEF, International rity sector, increasing the involvement of partners in EU Red Cross Committee, ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’, and missions and operations, and cooperation in the scope Oxfam) addressed the 27 Member States of the EU and of developing defence capacity. the European Commission for support for the victims Due to political conditions, the Polish Presidency did of the crisis in the Horn of Africa. not propose new initiatives regarding relations between the EU and NATO. It focused on supporting the dialogue of the High Representative with the Secretary General and the development of collaboration and expert level.

142 3 .7 .3 . Trade policy and the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The divergences of the interests of the parties in ne- Regarding the Common Commercial Policy gotiations of the trade-related pillar of the EU-Mercosur of the EU, the Presidency embarked on actions aimed at Association Agreement regarding mutual access to the normalisation of business and trading relations within the market, including especially the question of opening the neighbourhood policy, both in its eastern and south- the agricultural market, makes the negotiations a difficult ern dimensions. process, and influences the slow pace of these works. December 2011 saw the close of negotiations on These negotiations were continued during the Polish the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Presidency. Held in November 2011 was their 7th round EU-Ukraine, being a part of the EU-Ukraine Association in Montevideo. Agreement, which was a strategic goal of the Polish After the adoption of the corollaries concerning the sign- Presidency in trade relations. Conclusion of the agreeing and conclusion of the EU-Columbia-Peru Multiparty ment will help to increase the business and trade link- Trade Agreement and the EU Association Agreement with age between EU and Ukraine. We expect the quickest the countries of Central America, the premises of legal and possible initialling and later signature of the Association linguistic verification of the wording of these agreements Agreement, and the DCFTA agreement integrated with it. began. After the completion of these works, the Council At the same time, the Polish Presidency facilitated will be able to take a decision regarding the signing the initiation of analogous DCFTA negotiations with of the agreements and temporary application of some Georgia and Moldova, and also – in collaboration with of their provisions, and will adopt draft decisions on the European Commission – facilitated agreement, concluding the contracts. In the case of the EU-Columbia- after 18 years of negotiations, on conditions for acces- Peru Multiparty Trade Agreement and the EU Association sion of Russia to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement, the Polish Presidency facilitated the final and the decision taken during the 8th WTO Ministerial shape of the position of the EU Council regarding the legal Conference in Geneva, concerning the accession of Russia character of the agreement. Due to the decisions regard- to the WTO. ing the mixed status of the agreement undertaken, work As a result of the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference (15- was conducted on the preparation of a reviewed conclu- 17 December 2011), in agreement with the European sion regarding the decision of the Council on the signing Commission, the Presidency focused all its effort on of the agreement and the temporary application of some bringing about the adoption of a package for the least de- of its provisions. Also begun also was work at the Council veloped countries (LDC). These arrangements maintain concerning the bylaws regarding the protective clauses to the credibility of the WTO in the face of a lack of realistic the above-mentioned agreements. potential for concluding negotiations as a part of WTO’s The Polish Presidency advanced work on the new sys- Doha Round. tem of EU unilateral customs preferences for develop- Signed during the Polish Presidency were agreements ing and least developed countries (Generalised System between EU and Russia, normalising the questions of Preferences). The key directions of the reform were de- of flights over Siberia, which is a significant question for fined, especially the maximum focusing of EU trade assis- the European airlines, including also PLL LOT. tance on the countries in greatest need of support, which In the southern dimension, the Council adopted in effect meant, besides the consolidation of the system the mandate for the European Commission to negotiate and improvement of its functionality, a significant reduc- the DCFTA agreements with the countries of the Northern tion in the number of the beneficiaries. Africa, i.e. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. By Adopted by the Council as part of the activity for the way of actions focused on the South of Europe, one the reduction of barriers in international trade was should also point to the decision concerning the acces- a report concerning the key barriers in trade and invest- sion of Montenegro to the WTO, and bringing about ments. The report was discussed by the European Council the adoption of EU autonomous trade preferences for with the recommendation to tackle these issues during Western Balkans. the meetings and summits with specific non-EU states Achieved during the Polish Presidency was also progress that apply such barriers. concerning trade relations between EU and other non- An important achievement was the conclusion, within Member States. A revision was facilitated of the European the World Trade Organisation, of the 12 year-long nego- Commission’s negotiation mandate regarding excluding tiations regarding the deepening of access to the market the question of protection of investments from contracts of public procurement (the Agreement on Government concerning the free trade zone with India and Singapore, Procurement).

143 Report 3.7. Foreign Affairs Council

3.7.4. Consular matters

Despite the fact that the area of the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is managed by the European External Action Service, the management of a number of preparatory bodies of the Foreign Affairs Council was retained, as an exception, in the competencies of the rotating presidency. One of the working groups operating in the system was the Consular Cooperation Working Group (GR COCON). The main goal of the Polish Presidency regarding consular affairs was to ensure appropriate coordination of the actions of Member States in the matters of consular care, accounting for the conclusions drawn from the recent world crises. The Polish Presidency managed to agree the assumptions of a draft of a functional model of cooperation between consular services of Member States during major sports events, with special respect to the approaching European Football Championship in 2012. Moreover, the Presidency performed a review of models of consular crisis reaction from the point of view of identifying the best action practices, and conducted introductory discussion concerning the draft Directive of the Council on consular protection for citizens of the Union abroad published by the European Commission on 14 December 2011. The Presidency also succeeded in working out a compromise, while determining the contents of consular references in the EU-Australia Framework Agreement, and conducting discussions regarding the opportunities for using financial and operational support of the EU Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC) in consular operations. In the second half of 2011, 86 Polish consular missions all over the world formally played the role of local consular Presidency, carrying out individualised programmes of action. Established in many locations for the first time were joint emergency and evacuation plans of representations of EU Member States, in case of an occurrence of a crisis situation. Due to the poor external representation of the remaining partners of the Presidency trio, some Polish consular missions declared their readiness to continue their duties resulting from the local presidency beyond 1 January 2012 (including in Amman, Baghdad, Kuwait, Reykjavik, and Tunis).

144 3.8. Economic and Financial Affairs Council

uring the Polish Presidency, the Economic and The harmonization of measures to be taken in emergency DFinancial Affairs Council held six formal sessions (in- situations, constituting a serious threat to financial stabil- cluding one meeting devoted to budget-related matters) ity, was achieved. The agreement restricts the conclusion and one informal meeting in Wrocław. The presidency was of uncovered credit risk transactions that relate to sov- marked by vigorous efforts to address the ongoing debt ereign debt while providing due flexibility for regulators crisis, including the introduction of effective solutions in the Member States, granting them the prerogative designed to prevent the contagion of debt problems in of lifting the ban on such transactions and countering its the euro area and to upgrade the coordination of the EU’s negative effects. Moreover, the agreement includes- ex economic policy. emptions from the ban for such market practices as proxy The Polish Presidency brokered the adoption of apack- hedging and for the main dealers and market makers. age of six legal acts strengthening economic governance The Council also adopted a general approach concern- in the EU and, particularly, within the euro area. Four ing OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade of them concern public finances and reform the preven- repositories (EMIR). The aim of the draft is to enhance tive and corrective parts of the Stability and Growth Pact. the security of the derivatives market by boosting its trans- A new directive on budget frame requirements will ensure parency and stability, protecting investors and reducing that national solutions reinforce fiscal discipline within operational risk. The new solutions obligate investment the EU. Moreover, oversight of national economic policies firms to transfer to trade repositories information on OTC will be boosted through the introduction of a mechanism derivatives contracts and to clear standardised OTC de- to reduce excessive macroeconomic imbalances. A new rivatives contracts through central counterparties. ‘excessive imbalance procedure’ was introduced - rein- Political agreement was also reached on a draft regula- forced with potential sanctions for any lapses of disci- tion introducing technical requirements for credit trans- pline. The new procedures, which came into effect under fers and direct debits in euro (Single Euro Payments the Polish Presidency, are certain to have the long-term Area, SEPA) laying down specific technical transfer and effect of improving budget discipline and enhancing eco- debit requirements on all Member States relative to euro nomic stability in the EU. transaction. The regulation also stipulated dates for mi- The adoption of the EU budget for 2012, in line with gration to SEPA payment schemes and defined a number the new provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, marked yet of other rules (e.g. accessibility, reachability and interop- another success of Polish Presidency. Its skilful conduct erability of payment systems). of the tricky negotiations from March 2011 produced During the Polish Presidency the Council agreed on a compromise in the form of a sustainable annual a general approach to investor compensation schemes budget based on a balanced approach to the financing which increases investor protection in instances when an of the increased requirements stemming from the EU’s investment company cannot return assets held on behalf pro-development policies, with due consideration to of investors. The compromise harmonises compensation the continuing crisis and the attendant need to preserve limits and the financing of compensation schemes, intro- financial discipline. In line with the Council’s intentions, ducing the possibility of partial compensation. the level of payments for the 2012 budget was set at Under Omnibus II - a directive that changes Prospectus 129.088 billion EUR, which amounts to a slight increase on and Solvency II - a general approach was adopted. the 2011 budget. At the same time, it was decided to sub- The above-mentioned directives amend regulations stantially increase commitments to the level of 147.232 concerning the emission of prospectuses published in billion EUR - something that reflects numerous postulates connection with a public offer or the sale of securities of the European Parliament connected with the imple- as well as the initiation and conduct of insurance and mentation of the Europe 2020 Strategy and external reinsurance activity; the amendment was necessary in challenges confronting the EU. It is noteworthy that for connection with the establishment, effective 1 January the first time since the entry into force of the TFEU, an 2011, of the new Union financial supervision structure. annual budget was adopted within the deadlines stipu- Furthermore, the Council endorsed a progress report lated in the Treaty - which is yet another manifestation on works concerning capital requirements (CRD IV) which of the efficient operation of EU institutions in the midst includes a draft directive of the European Parliament and of the crisis. the Council on the access to the activity of credit institu- Furthermore, the Presidency finalised a number tions and the prudential supervision of credit institutions of initiatives in the sphere of financial services, which and investment firms. required cooperation with the European Parliament The Council also adopted an amendment of the directive and the European Commission. Common transparency on financial conglomerates,designed to close legal loop- requirements were introduced concerning short sell- holes and ensure supplementary supervision of the enti- ing and certain aspects of credits default swaps (CDS). ties in a financial conglomerate. The directive is designed

145 Report 3.8. Economic and Financial Affairs Council

to upgrade the supplementary supervision of large and complex financial groups in the EU while maintaining their competitive positions, to strengthen risk management connected with financial conglomerates, to eliminate the possibility of regulatory arbitrage, to reduce burdens connected with the observance of regulations and to ensure equal opportunities. Negotiations were also initiated on company reporting obligations and on a draft financial instruments market directive and regulation (MiFID and MiFIR).The opening of these works permitted the identification of contro- versial issues (algorithmic trading, inclusion of emission rights in the list of financial instruments, position limits on commodity derivatives, rules for data consolidation and reporting), which will facilitate the future works of the next Presidency in this area. On direct taxation, works continued on the European Commission proposal for a common consolidated tax base . In the area of statistics, considerable progress was made on a legislative submission concerning revision of the European System of National and Regional Accounts in the European Union (ESA 2010) , which is the basis of key decisions regarding the coordination and convergence of Member State economic policies. The final version of the ESA 2010 methodological manual was prepared and agreement was reached on the tables of the data transmission programme. The works on the draft ESA regulation are likely to be concluded during the Presidency of the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus trio. Furthermore, in addition to actions envisaged in its agenda, the Presidency brokered the adoption of a compromise proposal by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council concerning a bank package, ensuring the mid- term financing and capitalization of banks in the EU, which then was incorporated in the relevant European Council conclusions. The Presidency also unveiled its own proposals concerning the economic and financial impact assessment of the new Union initiatives, guided by the conviction that amelioration of public finances was the chief task of the Member States during the present crisis. Moreover, the Presidency presented the coordinated and unified position of the EU atG-20 meetings of finance ministers and central bank presidents.

146 3.9. Competitiveness Council (COMPET)

3.9.1. The internal market accounts of certain types of companies as regards micro- entities.The European Parliament adopted its position at the plenary session on 13 December 2011, while the EU he Presidency continued or started work on legisla- Council should formally adopt the draft at one of the first Ttive motions concerning 7 out of 12 levers contained sessions in 2012. in the Single Market Act, they were: the unitary pat- Establishment of a cheap and easily accessible patent protection system (lever No. 3), alternative dispute ent system was one of the priorities of the Presidency resolution (lever No. 4), European standardisation system in the area of competition. Aiming at closing work on (lever No. 5), energy and transport infrastructure (lever the system of unitary patent protection, continuing for No. 6), mutual recognition of electronic identification and over 30 years, the Presidency brought about an agree- authentication, electronic signature (lever No. 7), taxation ment on a part of the patent package, namely a proposal of energy (lever No. 9), and simplification of the account- for a regulation establishing a unitary patent protection ing directives (lever No. 11). In the case of the remaining system and regulation concerning language solutions five initiatives, there were delays in the publication of leg- in unitary patent protection. On December 5 2011, islation projects by the European Commission, which is the session of the Competitiveness Council failed to why the Polish Presidency could not begin working on achieve agreement regarding the last element of the pack- them. age, namely the intergovernmental agreement regarding The Polish Presidency began the performance check the Single Patent Court. Despite the success in aligning process in the services market, which is based on the ex- many of its elements, negotiations were stymied due to amination of the practical functioning of national legisla- the lack of consensus concerning the situation of the seat tion of EU states concerning services in three selected of the Central Division of the Court of First Instance. sectors: tourism, services for business (tax advisors), and Despite the lack of agreement on the seat of the central construction. The Presidency managed to bring about branch of the Single Patent Court in the Council, the European the streamlining of the methodology of the process, Parliament saw no obstacles to adopting the compromise the conclusion of which is planned for 2012, after pres- worked out with the Polish Presidency in the Committee entation of the report of the European Commission sum- on Legal Affairs (JURI). Nevertheless, the plenary voting ming up the process and the resultant conclusions. at the European Parliament will only be possible after Moreover, the Presidency conducted intensive work in the above mentioned issue has been agreed. increasing the functionality of Points of Single Contact The Danish Presidency intends to continue intensive (implementation of the provisions of the services direc- work on the patent dossier, so as to bring the works on tive), and concerning the information point on Central the agreement to a close as quickly as possible. Most Registration and Information on Economic Activity Member States expect completion of work on the pack- (CEIDG). age by the end of 2012, emphasising the need to maintain The Presidency actively participated in the work on the political momentum, and treating the establishment the further implementation of initiatives concerning of a uniform judicial system for education in patent cases the Small Business Act (SBA), including ones related a priority. to greater access for small and medium-sized enter- As part of the Smart Regulation initiative, prises (SMEs) to markets and venture capital funds. concerning actions serving the improvement Presentation of new communications from the European of the regulatory environment for entrepreneurs, con- Commission concerning among others the internation- clusions of the Competitiveness Council were adopted alisation of SMEs found its reflection in the conclusions regarding the Impact Assessment (complex evaluation of the Competitiveness Council regarding the flagship ini- of various aspects of desired EU legislation), in which tiatives on industrial policy adopted on 5 December 2011 the role of Member States in designing the impact assess- – strengthening of implementation of industrial policy ments was reinforced, and a timetable for further actions in the EU. On 17 and 18 October 2011, the Presidency was worked out. Moreover, the Presidency prepared a re- co-organised a conference on the ‘Erasmus for port presenting progress on the fulfilment of the mission Young Entrepreneurs’ European initiative. Moreover, to reduce administrative burden by 25% by 2012. A decla- the Ministry of Economy became involved in the work ration of the European Commission regarding the further of the network of SME Plenipotentiaries. actions was obtained. As part of the reduction of administrative burden In the context of ensuring greater transparency for on small and medium-size enterprises in the EU, business, the Presidency conducted work on the mo- the Presidency achieved a compromise with the European tion regarding the establishment of a legal framework Parliament in the 2nd reading concerning the draft change making it possible to combine some business registers. of the Fourth Council Directive78/660/EEC on the annual During the Competitiveness Council on 5 December 2011,

147 Report 3.9. Competitiveness Council (COMPET)

the Presidency gained acceptance of the general approach Despite the plans, the Polish Presidency did not start to the project. The directive will allow quick and cheap work on the amendment of the Council Directive 90/314/ access to credible information and documents regarding EEC on package travel, package holidays and package companies and their branches situated in other Member tours due to the change of the Commission’s approach States, deposited in trade registers of the Member States. to the amendment. The legislative proposal is to be pro- Therefore, it should encourage entrepreneurs to enter posed by the Commission only in the second half of 2012. into transactions with entities in other Member States, In the field of intellectual property, the Presidency and to contribute in this way to the further development brought about the development of a compromise proof the EU internal market. Moreover, the directive will also posal of the wording of the regulation regarding entrust- streamline exchange of information between the registers ing the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market of merging companies from various EU states. (OHIM) with tasks related to the European Observatory At the working level, the Polish Presidency began and on Counterfeiting and Piracy. The text will be the sub- advanced the process of negotiation of a proposal for jected to voting at a plenary session of the European a regulation regarding the Internal Market Information Parliament. System (IMI) in line with assumptions. The following is- The Polish Presidency began and strongly advanced sues remain to be solved: delegated acts, participation work on the draft of a directive on certain permitted of non-EU states and external actors in the exchange uses of orphan works presented in May 2011. The report of information through the IMI system, and the questions from the progress of works was presented at the session of protecting personal data. of the Competitiveness Council on 5 December 2011. Due to the European Commission delaying the presen- The work on the directive will be continued during tation of a draft legislation regarding service concessions the Danish Presidency, which will aim at closing them. (which did not take place until 20 December 2011), it was Moreover, at a working level, the Presidency conducted impossible to start work in the working group on public a presentation and discussion concerning the Green procurement. The work will be begun by the Danish Paper on the online distribution of audiovisual works Presidency. Devoted to public procurement, however, in the European Union, presented by the Commission in was one of the workshops (improving functioning of EU July 2011. public procurement legislation) during the Single Market Forum. Moreover, on 2 December 2011, the Presidency organised an international conference on sustainable 3.9.2. More competitive European economy public procurement in Warsaw. The goal behind the conference was promotion of environmental and social aspects in public procurement. In reference to the communication of the European Moreover, the Presidency caused the formal adoption Commission regarding the ‘Resource-Efficient Europe’ of the directive on consumer rights by the Council on Flagship Initiative, the Presidency conducted a debate at 10 October 2011. This important initiative, reinforcing the informal meeting of ministers of industry held on 21- the position of consumers and the market, is to be im- 22 July 2011 in Sopot. Besides the subject of efficient use plemented in the national laws of Member States by 13 of resources, the debate also focused on more general December 2013. In its assumptions, the new instrument questions of the effect of environmental regulations on is to contribute to the development of internal market, industry. What became clearly visible during the discus- providing consumers with the comfort of performing sion was the need to maintain balance between industry purchases throughout the EU, without concern about and environmental protection, so that actions related the rights and appropriate protection, and increase their with climate policy do not override the competitiveness trust to trans-border online transactions. of industry. This found its formal reflection in the con- On 29 November 2011, the European Commission pre- clusions of the EU Council regarding the Competitive sented a legislative package covering the directive regard- European Economy: Industrial competitiveness in ing Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and a regulation the light of resource efficiency, which were adopted regarding Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). The package at the session of the Competitiveness Council on 29 was presented to the Competitiveness Council on 5 September 2011. Referring to the ‘Integrated Industrial December 2011. The new instrument is to provide con- Policy for the Globalisation Era’ Flagship Initiative, sumers with an opportunity to resolve disputes without the Presidency also carried out work to support enterpris- the need to go to court. The Polish Presidency began es. The results are the conclusions regarding the flagship a debate concerning the proposal of the Commission at initiative concerning industrial policy – Strengthening the working level. of the implementation of industrial policy in the EU adopted by the Competitiveness Council. The conclusions

148 – concerning among others the internationalisation Significantly speeded up during the Polish Presidency of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), corporate was the work on the drafts of legal acts regarding mo- responsibility of business, and normalisation – provide tor vehicles conducted within the subgroup for motor a clear message that industry is and should remain a key vehicles in the working group on technical harmonisa- element in building the well-being of Europe. tion of the EU Council. The Presidency concluded an The Presidency conducted extensive activity in the field understanding with the European Parliament in the first of space policy, organising, among others, a seminar reading, and later, at a session of the Economic and entitled Space Situational Awareness (SSA) on ensuring Financial Affairs Council on 8 November 2011, adopted the safety of satellite infrastructure). Conclusions from a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the discussion were used to develop the regulation under Council changing the Directive 2000/25/EC concerning the name Orientations concerning added value and bene- the amending Directive 2000/25/EC as regards the ap- fits of space to the security of European citizens, adopted plication of emission stages for narrow-track tractors. by the Space Council (joint session of the Competitiveness Moreover, the Polish Presidency continued the analy- Council and the Ministerial Council of the European sis – begun by the Hungarian Presidency – of the draft Space Agency) on 6 December 2011. The Regulation Proposal for Regulation on type-approval of agricultural of the Council is highly significant, especially in the con- or forestry tractors (T-category vehicles) and the draft text of negotiating the future financial perspective,- dur Proposal for Regulation on the approval and market suring which EU states will have to decide about the future veillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricy- of financing space programmes, including GMES. cles (L-category vehicles). The efficient activity of the fo- As far as technical harmonisation is concerned, rum of the working group, and collaboration of interested the Presidency started work on the proposal for a regu- parties made it possible for the Polish Presidency to agree lation regarding the role of standardisation in Europe. on the drafts regarding the L- and T-category vehicles to The first exchange of views at ministerial level took place the highest degree feasible, and to bring the work to during the session of the Competitiveness Council on 29 the stage that allows initiation of the first informal talks September 2011. The debate focused on the questions with the European Parliament. of the Presidency concerning three issues: the possibility Adopted in the first reading, as part of legislative work of speeding up the process of normalisation, recognition for the chemical industry, was a proposal for a regula- of the ‘de facto’ norms in ICT for public procurement tion of the European Parliament and Council changing and EU policies, and efficient involvement in the process the Regulation (EC) 648/2004 regarding the use of phos- of normalisation of SMEs and other so-called weaker phates and other phosphorus compounds in household stakeholders. The state of the advancement of the work laundry detergents and in household automatic dish- by the Polish Presidency should make it possible to adopt washer detergents. The proposal for a regulation will help the draft in the first reading during the Danish Presidency. to limit emission of phosphates used in household laundry The regulation will allow more efficient use of norms in detergents to waters, and consequently limit the process modernisation and reinforcement of the competitive of eutrophication causing the excessive growth of algae edge of businesses. and cyanobacteria in lakes and seas. By establishing What must be recorded as part of the Presidency’s activ- uniform maximum caps for phosphates contents in ity in technical harmonisation are the works on the New household laundry detergents, the regulation will help Legislative Framework Alignment Package, which is to the harmonisation of requirements for such products in simplify and unify the regulatory environment regarding the EU market, and liquidate barriers within the internal products, and guarantee that there are only safe prod- markets caused by the previous inconsistencies between ucts in the EU market. To ensure cohesion of regulations, the requirements binding in individual Member States. the Presidency conducted works on a package of nine sec- A separate question was the works on the proposal for tor directives as a whole, discussing individual questions a regulation on explosive precursors. The draft is an an- (notification of units assessing conformity, duties of busi- swer to the problem of the improper use of certain, gen- nesses) in the adjusted directives. The form of work on erally available chemical substances that allow the mak- the package proposed by the Presidency proved effective, ing of explosives at home. The Presidency embarked and will be continued by the Danish Presidency. The ma- on negotiations with the European Parliament (three jor delay on behalf of the European Commission, which trialogues were conducted). The work on the proposal for presented the package on 21 November 2011 made it, a regulation will be continued by the Danish Presidency. however, impossible to achieve the significant advance- In the context of the 5th anniversary of adopting ment of works during the Polish Presidency as assumed the RCEAH package, a conference entitled On the RCEAH earlier. Road was held in Warsaw on 23-24 November 2011. The RCEAH Regulation is one of the most ambitious

149 Report 3.9. Competitiveness Council (COMPET)

systems for managing chemicals, and aims at the mini- of various sustainable and high-quality tourist destina- misation of the negative impact on human health and en- tions in the world. The need to support actions for eas- vironment by 2020. The conference served the exchange ing visa requirements was also commented on, as it is of administrative experiences gained both while working currently one of the major barriers for the development on the regulation, and during the last five years of opera- of inbound tourism in Europe. tion of the RCEAH system, and also its future. With the competitive edge of European tourist econ- The Presidency greatly advanced the work on the pro- omy in mind, the Presidency organised (in collaboration posal for a directive on recreational craft and personal with the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)) a workshop watercraft. The document presented by the European devoted to EuroVelo Trans European cycle routes at Commission in July 2011 contains proposed substantive the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland changes, and adjusts of the wording of the directive to to Brussels. In December 2011, the European Parliament the New Legislative Framework adopted in 2008 (mostly adopted the regulation in which it calls for inclusion to the decision 768/2008/EC). Adoption the legal regula- of EuroVelo into the TEN-T network. tions mentioned above will provide better options to EU entrepreneurs (also Polish). The Polish Presidency continued activity for the rein- 3 .9 .3 . European Research Area forcement of the visibility and competitive edge of tourism, in line with the priority ‘Competitiveness of the EU tourism industry. Diagnosis and recommendations for In the area of research, attention during Polish actions’. The main instruments for carrying out this prior- Presidency was paid to various aspects related with ity was the organisation of the European Tourism Forum the building of the sustainable and integrated European in Cracow from 5 to 7 October 2011, around the motto Research Area (ERA), from the idea of intellectual capital, ‘Stimulating competition in the European tourism- sec via initiatives of joint programming and partnership in tor’. During the debate, it was agreed that improvement research and innovation, to the shape of a new frame- of the competitive edge requires especially the consolida- work programme concerning scientific research and in- tion of the social-economic knowledge base, and ensuring novation. The key event in the area was the first ministe- all stakeholders with access to that database. Moreover, rial conference of the ERA: Intellectual Capital – Creative necessary are also activities for the innovation of tourism Impact. projects, and for the expansion of knowledge and skills During the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, discus- of human resources in tourism. Moreover, activity promot- sion concerning the shape of the following Horizon 2020 ing the knowledge of the economic and social significance framework programme in the field of scientific research of tourism also needs spreading. The Forum was accom- and innovation continued. Emphasised very strongly panied by a meeting of the NECSTour network of European while designing the strategic support programme was regions and a presentation of the ‘Code of good practices the request to use fully the intellectual capital of Europe, in sustainable and eco-friendly development’. which provided the grounds for the formulation of two The Presidency also entered the debate concerning directions of intervention of priority significance for tourism at ministerial level, organising an informal meet- Poland, and referring to the work on the Horizon 2020 ing of EU ministers responsible for tourism in Cracow programme, which is the simpler and more harmo- on 6 October 2011. The meeting was devoted mostly to nised character of the new program, and the syn- the matters of promoting Europe as an attractive tourist ergy of the framework programme with the instruments destination in the markets of non-EU states, and espe- of cohesion policy. The debate of ministers for research cially of the BRIC countries. Signed during the meeting during the session of the Competitiveness Council on was a declaration of collaboration in the area, between 6 December 2011 showed significant identification the European Commission and the European Travel of the majority of Member States with the ambitions put Commission (ETC). During the discussion, the ministers forth by the Polish Presidency regarding the framework emphasised that tourism plays a significant social and programme, including the simplification of rules and economic role, holds a major potential that allows its procedures, collaboration of the framework programme further growth and establishment of jobs. They agreed with the instruments of the cohesion policy to reinforce that the promotion of the Destination: Europe slogan the potential of the regions, and support for small the re- will improve the attractiveness of the continent and help search teams. to increase the number of tourists arriving in Europe. The main achievement of the Presidency in the area Promotional activities should be undertaken in consensus, of research was the adoption of a package of legal acts with respect to Europe as a venue, proposing at the same regarding the Euratom programme in 2012–2013. time the shaping of the image of Europe as a collection Discussion regarding the Euratom programme 2012–2013

150 continued parallel on two planes, namely, the substantive and the financial, and in various contexts (research of nuclear energy, ITER Project, Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, and the EU budget for 2012). In this way, included in the negotiations were various working groups, according to their proper scope, which ensured the cohesion of the activities conducted. Countering the fragmentation of the ERA was discussed in the relation to the establishment of initiatives of joint programming of research, being at the same time the object of works of a high-level group for joint programming. Special attention was paid to questions of participation in the joint programme of countries with a low intensity of research, measured mostly via the volume of funds earmarked for research as a percentage of the GDP (a group to which Poland also belongs). The low level of activity of these countries poses the risk of incomplete exploitation of Europe’s intellectual capital, which may result on the one hand in a duplication of research of a strategic character, and on the other hand in a ‘brain drain’ to countries with high research intensity. This is why it was suggested, in reference to countries with a low intensity of scientific research, that financing of research conducted at supranational level could be made possible also from the EU funds, and especially from structural funds. Moreover, adopted during the Polish Presidency, as part of the construction of the integrated ERA, were the conclusions concerning the recommendations of the European Commission regarding the 6 Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs), i.e. More Years – Better Lives, Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans, The Microbial Challenge – an Emerging Threat to Human Health, Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe (Clik’EU), Urban Europe – Global Challenges, Local Solutions, Joint European Solutions, and Water Challenges for a Changing World. Adoption of the conclusions means launching of all the six initiatives, and in this way – building the grounds for collaboration of the interested states in the given area. EU Competitiveness Council also adopted a political pact regarding the Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 521/2008 setting up the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. Pointed to in the conclusions concerning partnerships in research and innovation, adopted by the EU Competitiveness Council on 6 December 2011 were actions concerning public-private partnerships and also public-public partnerships, at the same time, the scope of actions while building the European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) was defined. In this way, the Polish Presidency became involved in work on the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy, and especially the flagship initiative Union of Innovation.

151 Report

3.10. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE)

3 .10 .1 . Transport its entirety. Introduction of the new system will reduce the infringement of social regulations by drivers, which will help to improve safety on the roads, and contribute n the second reading, the Polish Presidency com- to the reduction of the social costs of accidents. Ipleted formally the legislative process connected The Presidency brought about a transformation to the proposal for a directive on the charging of heavy of the general approach of the Council, adopted by goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures the Hungarian Presidency, and concerning the railway (Eurovignette) and the directive facilitating the cross- package I revision, into a political pact. One of the most border exchange of information on road safety related important elements of the proposal for a directive is traffic offences. The ‘Eurovignette’ Directive will be highly the unification of the method for calculating rates for ac- significant for all EU Member States, and is an important cess to rail infrastructure. The compromise solution guar- element of the EU transport policy. It is aimed at limit- anteeing the distribution of additional costs that will have ing the negative influence of the road transport sector to be incurred over time by the budgets of Member States on the environment and gradual equalisation of fees for was successfully preserved in the wording of the draft. using infrastructure. The intention of the cross-border As concerns transport by sea, the Polish Presidency directive, in turn, is the establishment of an EU electronic brought about the adoption of the general approach to network for exchanging data which will be used for the es- the draft of the amended directive regarding the mini- tablishment of the identity of the owner of the vehicle so mum level of training of seafarers during the session that the organs of the Member State, where an offence of the TTE Council on 12 December 2011. The change or crime was committed, could send notification about of the directive is primarily to ensure the quick entry such an offence/crime to the owner of the vehicle that into force of the provisions of the changed international was material in its commitment. convention on the requirements regarding the train- The main priority of the Polish Presidency in ing of seafarers, issuing them certificates, and keeping the area of transport was a proposal for a regulation watch (the so-called STCW convention). The transposition regarding the revision of EU guidelines regarding of changes of the STCW Convention to the European law the TEN-T network. Despite the very late publication will help to improve maritime safety. of the proposal for a regulation (submitted to the Council The second dossier in the area of maritime trans- on 24 October 2011), the Polish Presidency conducted port policy which the Polish Presidency dealt with at intensive work, and persistently pursued the attainment the session of the TTE Council on 12 December 2011 was of the goal of embracing the general approach. The efforts the Proposal for a Regulation on the accelerated phas- of the Presidency resulted in the preparation of a coming-in of double hull or equivalent design standards for promise text of the proposal for a regulation. Yet due to single hull oil tankers (transformation). The Presidency the reservations of the European Commission and numer- brought about the adoption of the general approach in ous Member States concerning the pace of work and lack the question. The adoption of the proposal for a regula- of ability for national administrations to react quickly, tion will contribute to better protection of the maritime the session of the TTE Council of 12 December was lim- environment from pollution with oil. ited only to the acceptance of the report from the pro- The Presidency brought about the adoption gress of works, and entrusting the Danish Presidency with of the conclusion of the Council regarding the communi- the text developed by the Polish Presidency. The most cation of the European Commission entitled the EU and important questions that remain to be clarified include: its neighbouring regions: A renewed approach to trans- the question of subsidiarity and proportionality, the as- port cooperation, which corroborates the significance sumptions of the concepts of corridors of the basic net- of coherent transport connections for the strengthening work, administrative and financial burdens, the need for of economic and political integration with the neigh- exclusions and greater flexibility in the question of re- bouring regions. Moreover, a joint declaration regarding quirements, and the manner of project management. transport cooperation between the European Union and Moreover, at the session of the TTE Council held on the countries of the Eastern Partnership was adopted 12 December 2011, the Presidency brought about also at a ministerial conference on the Eastern Partnership the adoption of a partial general approach to the proposal (Cracow, 24-25 October 2011). for a regulation regarding tachographs, aimed at improv- The Polish Presidency brought about the formal adop- ing the safety of road users. Due to the late presentation tion of the decision of the Council regarding the acces- of the proposal of the European Commission regarding sion of the European Union to the Protocol of 2002 to the directive changing the driving licence and its in- the Athens Convention of 1974 regardingcarriage of pas- separable connection to the draft on tachographs (Art. sengers and their luggage by sea. The protocol envisages 27), it was impossible to adopt the general approach in increasing the limits of liability, as compared to the Athens

153 Report 3.10. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE)

Convention of 1974, and consequently the payment reading (13 December 2011). The European Parliament of higher damages to passengers who sustain harm. It accepted the pact on 15 February 2012. In line with envisages also the obligatory insurance of the carrier, and the agreements achieved during the trialogues con- allows application directly to such an insurer for damages. ducted by the Polish Presidency. The entry into effect Moreover, the Presidency embarked on works to award of the Programme will first of all allow faster promotion the European Commission a mandate to open negotia- of general wireless broadband access to the Internet, tions concerning the so-called Interbus Agreement. Due even in more hardly accessible territories with lower to the negative position of the European Commission and population density. a number of Member States, there was no possibility Devoted also to the question of the radio spectrum of achieving the required unanimity on the geographic was the ministerial conference on the Perspectives for mandate, for which reason the issue was finally with- the development of the electronic communications mar- drawn from the agenda of the December TTE Council, ket in the EU, held on 19-20 October 2011 in Warsaw. and the work on the dossier was entrusted to the future The conference ended in unanimous adoption of the dec- Presidencies laration concerning the better use of the radio spectrum As far as air transport is concerned, the priority by the 35 states. It is open to new signatories. of the Polish Presidency was the airport package. Yet due Another priority in telecommunication was the amend- to the major delay in its preparation by the European ment of the Regulation on roaming on public mobile Commission (it was not published until December 2011), telephone networks. The goal behind the regulation is what could take place during the Polish Presidency was to stimulate competition in the market for international only the presentation of the package by the European roaming services. The Presidency brought about the ex- Commission, and the preliminary exchange of positions change of views of ministers, based on the questions pro- among Member States. In the area of civil aviation, posed, and also generated a report from the progress the works of the Presidency focused, therefore, mostly of works, registered by the TTE Council. The conclusions on external relations: the Presidency gave the European from the debate, as well as the report itself, will make it Commission a mandate to conduct negotiations con- possible for the Danish Presidency to conclude work on cerning the High-level Agreement between the EU and this question. It is particularly important as the regulation European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation on roaming currently in force will have expired by 30 June (EUROCONTROL) and a mandate regarding negotiations 2012. for the horizontal agreement on air transport with Moreover, the Presidency worked out conclusions Azerbaijan. Additionally, in close collaboration with to the communication of the European Commission the European Commission, the Presidency brought on the neutrality of networks, which were adopted by about the exchange of letters concerning the conditions the TTE Council. The document focuses on managing traf- for waiving the fees for flights over Siberia between fic in networks so as to guarantee efficient use thereof, the EU and Russia, and monitored the development and ensure high quality services. of the international situation in the context of includ- Due to the significant delay in the publication ing aviation into the EU system of trading emissions. of the communication of the European Commission re- Moreover, the Presidency organised a High Level garding the universal service in the telecommunications Conference ‘Implementation of the Single European Sky sector, the Polish Presidency conducted only a discussion and its extension to Third Countries’ in Warsaw on 28 among ministers during the session of the TTE Council. November 2011, resulting in the adoption of the Warsaw Nevertheless, telecommunication ministers shared clear Declaration. political guidelines regarding further work on the dossier at working group level. Despite the efforts of the Presidency, the TTE Council 3.10.2. Telecommunication and information did not achieve an understanding regarding the European society Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA). Further work on ENISA will be conducted by the Danish Presidency. Nevertheless, the result depends to a large A priority of the Polish Presidency in electronic com- extent on the ‘external’ determining factors (the concept munication was the negotiation of the joint position of the European Commission concerning the policy of cy- of the European Parliament and Council regarding the es- bersecurity, and the course of the process at the European tablishment of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme Parliament). (RSPP). The Presidency achieved an agreement in the mat- The Polish Presidency, together with the European ter. According to expectations, the Telecommunications Commission, organised the 6th European Ministerial eGo- Council defined its position regarding the RSPP in the first vernment Conference on trans-border e-administration

154 services for Europeans (eGov2011), held in Poznań on 2011). During the ministerial discussion, the sup- 17-18 November 2011. The conference was accompanied port of Member States for the dynamic development also by an informal meeting of ministers responsible for of the European energy infrastructure, providing the nec- electronic administration in European countries, and an essary condition for the establishment of an efficient in- exhibition of the most interesting ideas in the area of elec- ternal energy market to guarantee a high level of security tronic administration services and applications. of supplies, became clearly visible. Moreover, of special Moreover, the Presidency participated at ministe- importance is the regional collaboration within the EU rial level in the 6th Internet Governance Forum, held concerning the selection of strategic infrastructure-related in Nairobi (Kenya) in September 2011. For that reason, projects. On 19 October 2011, the European Commission a Presidency Paper, agreed by all the Member States presented a proposal for a regulation on the guidelines for of the EU, was developed. trans-European energy networks and repealing Decision 96/391/EC and Decision No. 1364/2006/EC. Its general assumption is speeding up the implementation of prior- 3.10.3. Energy ity infrastructure projects by: concentration of resources, simplification of legalisation procedures, and the use of innovative financial instruments. During the TTE Council on The most important legislation dossier regarding 24 November 2011, the Presidency conducted the pre- energy during the Polish Presidency was the proposal liminary discussion of the project. A necessary element for a directive regarding energy efficiency. The work of the proposal of the European Commission regarding on the directive, based on the draft of the European energy infrastructure is the idea of the new Connecting Commission of June 2011, was assumed in the context Europe Facility, which is to replace the previous regulation of the Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 communication, and regarding the Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E). the conclusions containing a range of guidelines regarding The Connecting Europe Facility will be inscribed into the promotion of energy efficiency adopted by the Energy the new, integrated concept of financing energy projects, Council in June 2011. During intensive work at the work- embedded into the currently negotiated Multiannual ing level, the Presidency followed the principle of increas- Financial Frameworks of the European Union for 2014– ing the flexibility of mechanisms and means proposed by 2020. Detailed information in the area was presented the European Commission, at the same time maintaining by the Commission also on 19 October 2011 in the form the proposed level of ambitions to decide the flexible legal of a package composed of a communication regarding framework, making it possible to achieve the goal of in- the package for the growth in the scope of integrated creasing energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. For the Polish European infrastructure and a proposal for a regulation Presidency, much like for the Danish one, an absolute establishing the Connecting Europe Facility. priority in reference to the directive on energy efficiency A significant achievement of the Polish Presidency is its Art. 6 introducing the so-called systems that enforce regarding the internal energy market was the adop- saving of energy (at the level of 1.5% per annum), which tion of the regulation of the Council and the European can particularly be based on the mechanism of the so- Parliament regarding the energy market integrity and called white certificates. The digest of works on the pro- transparency (REMIT). The Polish Presidency took ject of the regulation at the working level was contained over the dossier from the Hungarian Presidency with in the report on progress submitted by the Presidency, the works being highly advanced, focusing on conducting which was adopted by energy ministers on 24 November a key political dialogue with the European Parliament. 2011. In December 2011, the Polish Presidency presented After the Polish Presidency conducted the trialogue, the new version of the draft directive, being the result the European Parliament adopted the REMIT regulation in of six months of work. In line with the guidelines con- the first reading on 14 September 2011, and the Council tained in the conclusions of the European Council of 9 adopted the draft on 14 October 2011. The regulation December 2011, the agreement regarding the proposal is aimed at the establishment of frameworks defin- for a directive should be reached by the end of the Danish ing coherent legislation adjusted to the specific nature Presidency. of energy markets, formulated for the efficient detection A significant legislative project investigated during of abuse in the market and prevention of such abuse. the Polish Presidency was the proposal for a regula- The regulation envisages awarding more comprehensive tion regarding energy infrastructure. Before the official rights to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy presentation of the legislation drafted by the European Regulators and its close collaboration with national regu- Commission, the Polish Presidency conducted the initial latory organs to monitor electricity and gas markets, and discussion concerning the energy infrastructure during to assure the undertaking of efficient and coordinated the informal Energy Council (Wrocław, 19-20 September actions executing the regulations. REMIT will contribute

155 Report 3.10. Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE)

significantly to the building of an internal energy market, the Energy Roadmap 2050 (which did not take place be- and to increasing its transparency, which will realisti- fore 15 December 2011) organised a debate of Member cally influence the improvement of the competitive edge States at the level of general directors in Bełchatów on of European businesses, and a drop in the prices for indi- 13-15 July 2011. The corollaries should be emphasised, vidual consumers. among the general conclusions from the discussion: Moreover, the Polish Presidency began work on 1) three equivalent goals of sustainable energy poli- a Proposal for a Regulation on the safety of offshore oil cy: competitiveness, sustainable growth, and secu- and gas prospection, exploration and production activi- rity of supplies ties. At the session of the Council held on 24 November 2) freedom of EU states to choose their own energy 2011, the European Commission presented a draft that is mix the answer of the EU to the environmental disaster that 3) energy efficiency being the cheapest solution favo- took place in April 2010 at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig uring limitation of emissions in the Gulf of Mexico. The goal behind the project is to 4) nuclear energy remaining a significant option in re- limit the risk of major accidents while using submarine in- ducing emissions. stallations for oil and gas mining, and limiting the negative impact, also for the natural environment, should such an accident occur. The importance of the draft results from the fact that a majority of European gas and oil is acquired from the sea shelf. In November/December, the Polish Presidency conducted an intensive initial discussion of the draft at the forum of the working group on energy. Yet due to the delay in the European Commission presenting the draft of the regulation, most works of the project will take place during the Danish Presidency of the EU Council. As far as the coordination of energy-efficiency labelling programmes for office equipment Energy Star mark, the Polish Presidency brought about the achievement of the understanding between the Council and the European Commission in the matter of technical and legal amendments of the clauses for the new agreement between the EU and the US, submitted by the US, and especially regarding the question of supervision of the market. This took place because there were doubts concerning whether the decisions made during the negotiations conducted by the European Commission did not go beyond the negotiation mandate granted during the Hungarian Presidency. On 29 November 2011, the European Commission initialled with the US the new, five-year agreement concerning the Energy Star. It is to come into force in the first half of 2012, after being adopted by Member States. Nevertheless, during the Polish Presidency, the European Commission did not present the motion regarding the decision of the Council on the conclusion of an agreement between the US government and the EU regarding Energy Star, and the motion regarding the regulation changing the regulation of the European Parliament and Council (EEC) 106/2008. For that reason, against the original assumptions of the Presidency, it was impossible to conclude a new agreement concerning the Energy Star programme. The negotiation of the position of the Council on the issue will take place during the Danish Presidency. As part of work supporting the preparation of long-term EU strategy regarding energy policy, the Polish Presidency, waiting for the European Commission to publish

156 3.11. Justice and Home Affairs Council

he grounds for the priorities of the Polish Presidency concerning cooperation at major events with an interna- Tin the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice were tional dimension was adopted. the goals defined by the Stockholm programme, and A focus debate concerning the Community Civil especially the actions for the protection of citizens and Protection Mechanism and Civil Protection Financial facilitation of their access to justice, related to issues Instrument was conducted . At the same time, conclu- of border management, migration and asylum policy, sions concerning crisis communication were adopted, internal security, combating organised crime, and protec- procedures were reviewed, and new directions for tion of the population. the development of crisis coordination in the European Union (CCA) were outlined. COREPER II adopted the decision to extend the mandates 3.11.1. Internal affairs for the operation of CATS (The Article 36 Committee) and SCIFA (Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum) Committees, together with the annex containing Poland fully implemented the priority of the Presidency recommendations concerning streamlining the operation concerning the strengthening of collaboration in com- of both the Committees. bating drug-related crime. Adopted was the European Pact against synthetic drugs, along with the conclusions of the Council concerning the cooperation between the EU 3.11.2. Migrations, asylum, and border and Eastern Europe concerning drugs and conclusions management concerning combating of new psychoactive substances. Continuing work on the implementation of theInternal Security Strategy, the Polish Presidency efficiently The Presidency continued work related to the formal completed – within the COSI (Standing Committee on adoption of the proposal concerning Directive 2011/98/ Operational Cooperation on Internal Security) framework EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on – work on the EU policy cycle for organised and serious a single application procedure for a single permit for international crime by assuming strategic goals and de- third-country nationals to reside and work in the terri- veloping annual operating plans for each of them. Also tory of a Member State and on a common set of rights completed during the Polish Presidency were a range for third-country workers legally residing in a Member of initiatives concerning the development of police State . cooperation within the EU, concerning among others The objective of the directive is to establish comparable the improvement of information exchange (monitoring conditions for obtaining decisions that allow stay and of implementation of the Prüm Decision and the Swedish work (single permit), and also concerning the rights of im- Initiative, development and use of SIS and SIRENE), migrants as staff. The draft refers to two principal areas: combating of sexual abuse of children and child pornog- 1) the introduction, in principle, of the procedure raphy in cyberspace, forgeries of money and especially of a unified work and stay permit, which would be of the euro, the phenomenon of crime against cultural acquired on the grounds of a single application and heritage, improvement of security at sporting events, and have the form of a single administrative decision establishment of the European Forensic Science Area. 2) the definition of the scope of rights of employees There was an acceleration in the work on the Directive from non-Member States in the Member States. on the European PNR system (Passenger Name Record; The final position of the Council in the first reading was data concerning passenger flights), and also on contracts adopted on 24 November 2011. The text of the directive between the EU and non-Member States concerning was accepted without amendments at the plenary ses- processing and sharing of PNR data: with Australia (be- sion of the European Parliament on 13 December 2011. In ing ratified by the Australian party), the USA (signed on this way, the goal of the Presidency, anticipating the adop- 14 December 2001), Canada (negotiations are ongo- tion of the directive during the Polish Presidency, was ing). A strategic debate on the TFTS (Terrorist Finance achieved. Tracking System) was conducted which defined the fur- Significant progress was achieved in the work on two ther directions of the work. All the planned conclusions acts of law referring to the management of legal migra- of the Council concerning police cooperation were suc- tions: a proposal for a directive on entry and residence cessfully adopted. conditions for third-country seasonal workers and Following the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks a proposal on conditions of entry and residence of third- on the USA, structural and legislative changes in the EU country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate counter-terrorism policy were summarised. The Annex transfer. to the Handbook for police and security authorities

157 Report 3.11. Justice and Home Affairs Council

Together with the partners from the trio, the Presidency of Liechtenstein, which allowed completion of the process prepared a joint document concerning the Global of Liechtenstein’s accession to the Schengen area. The ex- Approach to Migration and Mobility communication pansion of the area took place on 19 December 2011. presented by the European Commission on 18 November An agenda for evaluation of Schengen in 2012–2013 was 2011, which aims at focusing the strategic discussion on drawn up, encompassing the Member States that ac- the communication. ceded to the area in 2007. During the ministerial conference in Poznań on 4 Concerning the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to November 2011, the Action Plan of the Prague Process the Schengen area, despite the conclusions of the Council (Building Migration Partnerships) for 2012–2016 was of 9 June 2011, which confirmed that the states had adopted. fulfilled the technical requirements concerning the ap- Intensive work in the Council and a political dialogue plication of the Schengen acquis, no decision concerning with the European Parliament were conducted on issues the date of abolition of controls on the internal borders related to the key questions of the Common European was reached due to opposition from the Kingdom Asylum System (CEAS). Adopted on 24 November 2011 of the Netherlands (and initially also from Finland). was the qualification directive (the first of the five WESA The Polish Presidency formulated a compromise proposal acts). The test of the new draft of the reception directive of staged accession of Romania and Bulgaria, which cur- was greatly advanced. With the procedural directive, rently provides the grounds for further negotiations. progress was successfully achieved in a number of diffi- Moreover, outside the six-month-programme cult areas. Following negotiations lasting many months, of the Polish Presidency, a debate was conducted con- the Presidency brought about the removal of the obsta- cerning the package on the strengthening of the mecha- cle blocking the work on the regulation of the European nisms for the management of the Schengen area: 1) Parliament and Council establishing the criteria and the updated proposal for a new Schengen evaluation mechanisms for defining the Member State responsible mechanism, and 2) a change to the Schengen Borders for investigation of an application for providing interna- Code concerning returning control on internal borders tional protection submitted in one of the Member States in exceptional situations. Agreement was reached in by a citizen of a non-Member State or a stateless person the matter of the further direction of work. In addition, (Dublin regulation) by achieving understanding concern- an in-depth debate was conducted at the ministerial level ing the rejection of the clause of supporting transfers on the strengthened political management of Schengen and replacing it with a mechanism of early warning, area within the Mixed Committee. The Presidency al- preparation, and management of migration crises. No lowed the definition of the main elements and direc- negotiations were begun on the proposal for a regulations of the possible compromise within the package for tion of the European Parliament and Council concerning strengthening Schengen management, which is currently the establishment of the EURODAC system for comparing being continued by the Danish Presidency. fingerprints to use efficiently regulation (EC) COM (2008) 825 [establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an 3 .11 .3 . Mobility asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national] because to date the European Commission has not published a text allowing the services In the area of visa policy, the Polish Presidency man- for the protection of law and public order direct access to aged to conduct efficient actions aimed at supporting the system, which is the condition necessary for Member the process of liberalising the visa regime with non- States to start work. Member States, especially with the countries covered Within the Integrated Border Management, the tasks by the programme of the Eastern Partnership and laid out in the EUROSUR pilot were completed, and work the Russian Federation. The Presidency managed to was advanced to a level that made it possible to enter complete the evaluation process of the results of the re- the practical phase of the project. Concluded in the work- negotiations of agreements on visa facilitation conducted ing group was the second reading of the proposal con- by the European Commission with Ukraine, Moldova, and cerning the change to the Schengen Borders Code, and Russia, in this way making it possible to adopt the agreed also agreed were a large majority of the changes proposed texts of the agreements by COREPER II on 12 December by the Commission. Moreover, a change to the Frontex 2011. Thanks to the actions that the Presidency consist- regulation was adopted. ently followed, the Council adopted negotiation man- In line with the guidelines, the following took place: dates concerning the agreements on visa facilitation and evaluation of Schengen in the Nordic states (SE, FI, DK, readmission agreements with Armenia and Azerbaijan on NO, IS), of ES and PT in the area of SIS – SIRENE, and 19 December 2011.

158 The efforts of the Polish Presidency led to accelera- 3.11.4. System of justice tion in the process of technical modification of Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession The main priority of the Polish Presidency concerning of visas when crossing the external borders and those the justice system – the protection of rights of citizens in whose nationals are exempt from that requirement. An the European Union – was carried out in the area of court active presentation of compromise solutions to achieve cooperation in civil cases, court cooperation in criminal a qualified majority helped to establish a general approach cases, and business law in its broad sense. in the most difficult question of the security clause, which As regards court cooperation in civil matters, within was formally adopted by the EU Council on 13 December the activities aiming to simplify execution of property- 2011. related rights of citizens, the Presidency managed to Thanks to the efforts of the Presidency, it was also pos- conclude its work by: sible to succeed with the accelerated mode of publication » adopting a general approach to the proposal in the EU ‘Official Journal’ of the decision of the European of regulation concerning inheritance and interna- Parliament and Council establishing a list of travel docu- tional inheritance, which will significantly simplify ments which entitle the holder to cross the external bor- transborder inheritance cases; ders of the EU and which may be endorsed with a visa, » adopting political guidelines for further work on as well as setting up a mechanism for establishing this a proposal for changing the Brussels I Regulation, list, and as a result allowing the commencement on work which defines principles of jurisdiction, recognition of the new Travel Document Committee. Formally adopt- of sentences and their execution in the majority ed on 25 October 2011, the decision (No. 1105/2011/EU) of civil and commercial matters; came into force on 24 November 2011. » initiation of a discussion on the regulation con- The commencement of the discussion on the fu- cerning joint European regulation on sales during ture of the Common Application Centres by the Polish the informal JHA Council in July 2011 in Sopot. Presidency became part of the broader amendment The need to conduct work on an instrument that of the Visa Code envisaged for 2012. On 2 December 2011, would facilitate contracts being concluded within the Presidency published a document entitled ‘Common the single market at EU level was successfully Application Centres and cooperation in the field of the is- adopted. This gave the green light to the beginning suance of visas’, which provided the grounds for exchang- of work and presentation of a legislative initiative ing opinions between Member States and the European by the European Commission. Moreover, to prepare Commission. the work of the Council and in the working group Moreover, the Presidency also oversaw an agreement better, the Presidency organised an international being reached with the European Parliament in the first conference devoted to the future of the European reading of the proposal for amending the Visa Code con- Sales Law, held in Warsaw on 9-10 November 2011; cerning the use of transit airport visas, and embarked on » completion of the first reading in the Council of two the process of analysing the results of the negotiations on proposals of regulations concerning: a) matrimo- a visa facilitation agreement with the Republic of Cape nial regimes, b) civil union regimes; work on a regu- Verde. lation on security on the debtor’s bank account was It is worth noting that during the Polish Presidency, on initiated. 11 October 2011, the Visa Information System (VIS) was Regarding court cooperation in criminal matters, successfully launched in the first region of its implementa- the priorities of the Member States focused on two question, namely in Northern Africa. tions: reinforcement of procedural and non-procedural On 12 December 2011, the Regulation of the European rights of victims of crime, and the reinforcement of pro- Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 cedural rights of people suspected or accused in criminal amending Regulation (EC) No. 1931/2006 as regards procedures. In this scope, the Presidency successfully the inclusion of the Kaliningrad Oblast and certain Polish conducted intensive negotiations of: administrative districts in the eligible border area was » a proposal for a directive concerning the European successfully adopted. The amendment was published in Protection Order in criminal cases (the so-called the ‘EU on 20 December 2011. This was one of the main criminal EPO): the instrument strengthen- priorities of the Polish Official Journal’ Presidency. ing the protection of victims against attempts of repeated acts by perpetrators of crimes, should they move to another EU Member State following the victim. The directive came into effect on 10 January 2012

159 Report 3.11. Justice and Home Affairs Council

» a proposal for a directive defining minimum norms Organised for the first time was the observance in the scope of rights, support, and protection of the European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of victims of crimes – general agreement was of Totalitarian Regimes, to be marked on 23 September. reached During the summit, its participants signed the Warsaw » a proposal for a directive concerning the right to Declaration, emphasising the need to cherish the memory information in criminal procedure, the objective of the victims of totalitarian regimes. of which is the introduction of guidelines – identical within the whole European Union – for disclosing information about the rights suspects and accused 3.11.5. The external dimension of the Area individuals are entitled to in criminal procedures: of Freedom, Security and Justice a compromise with the European Parliament was achieved, and the adoption of the instrument was formally acknowledged Referring to the external dimension of the AFSJ, » a proposal for a directive on the right to contact the JAIEX Group prepared a document with recommenda- a lawyer in a criminal procedure, and the right to tions concerning the strengthening of the complementary notify a third party about arrest, the goal of which character of actions conducted by the EU and individual is the establishment of common standards, uni- Member States in relations with non-Member States, form in the EU, concerning contact with a lawyer which contains suggestions for the European Commission for suspects and accused individuals. on the preparation of a relevant report. The Presidency also organised a conference devoted In terms of strategic cooperation with non-Member to ex officio legal aid, held in Warsaw on 5-6 December States, EU–US meetings of higher officials and EU– 2011. Western Balkans, EU–Russia and EU–US meetings at In addition, the Presidency completed work on: the ministerial level were organised. » the adoption of the general approach to Regarding the activities related to the Eastern the proposal of a directive regarding the European Partnership, all the envisaged goals were achieved. Investigation Order, the objective being the estab- The European Commission published a communica- lishment of a comprehensive mechanism serving tion concerning cooperation in the area of justice and the acquisition of evidence situated in another EU home affairs within the Eastern Partnership, and on 13 Member State within a criminal procedure November 2011, the Council adopted relevant conclu- » the directive on combating the sexual abuse and sions, pointing to priority directions in further collabora- sexual exploitation of children and child pornog- tion with the countries of the Partnership. In September, raphy, adopted by the Council on 15 November the European Commission presented a report assessing 2011 the state of preparation of Moldova and Ukraine for » a manual for the users of the European Criminal visa facilitation, in line with the Action Plans on visa Records Information System (ECRIS), defining liberalisation. the procedure for exchanging information about A proposal for a conclusion of the Council on the col- sentences imposed on citizens of the EU. laboration between the EU and Eastern Europe concern- Besides the above, and going beyond the programme ing the combating of drug crime was adopted. An expert of the Presidency, the Council adopted the recommenda- seminar was organised on ‘Models of management in tions for the European Commission concerning the shape the area of combating and predating people trafficking of the programmes of financial support for administra- in EU states and the countries of Eastern Partnership. tion of justice guaranteeing access to projects that are Potential for the development of co-operation’. smaller yet of high quality and better enrolment discipline. The Polish Presidency presented a document con- Adopted were the Council’s conclusions concern- cerning the external dimension of EU policy concerning ing the training of personnel for the justice system and the system of justice, which provided the grounds for the Council report concerning the review of the application the discussion in working groups dealing with court col- of the Resolution of the Council and representatives of gov- laboration in civil and criminal cases. ernments of the Member States gathered in the Council in Despite the efforts of the Presidency, no compromise the matter of establishment of a legislative cooperation could be reached in the question of negotiating the agree- network of ministries of justice of the Member States ment of EU’s accession to the European Convention on of the European Union. Human Rights. The Council also adopted the 3rd Implementation Report on the Implementation of the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant.

160 3.12. The Agriculture and Fisheries Council

3.12.1. Reform of the Common Agricultural new elements of the policy as support for active farmers Policy or lower upper limits for payments. In terms of support for rural areas (known as the second pillar), one of the most frequently raised issues was ublication of the legislative act concerningCommon greater alignment of the second pillar of CAP to regional PAgricultural Policy for 2014-2020 by the European policy. In addition, quite a few ministers referred, in most Commission on 12 October 2011 marked the official cases in positive terms, to proposals for risk management launch of negotiations in the EU forum. The Polish in agriculture. Statements about the second pillar of CAP Presidency initiated intensive efforts of the EU Council also touched on other issues, such as concerns over focused on drafts of the Commission to be followed up by the new delimitation of Less Favoured Areas (LFA) or is- future presidencies. In line with provisions of the Treaty sues of special importance for individual Member States of Lisbon, final arrangements regarding the content (for instance, support for irrigation – Portugal; environ- of regulations will be made jointly by the Council and ment, animal welfare and implementation of innovations the European Parliament under what is known as ordi- – Sweden; support for females – Spain). At the same time, nary legislative procedure. several ministers made references in their statements to At the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council the modified distribution of funds under the first pillar on 20-21 October 2011, ministers held the first general with the new allocation in the second pillar of CAP. political debate on guidelines for the CAP reform identi- Ministers have also called for maintenance of inter- fied in the legal proposals. On 14 November 2011, min- vention measures on agricultural markets as a safety isters put the spotlight on direct payments. The Council net. Simplification of CAP was addressed in speeches meeting on 15-16 December 2011 was the venue of a de- of all ministers. Member States expressed an opinion bate focused on development of rural areas. The Special that the legislative package requires a lot of work to make Committee on Agriculture staged a debate on the impact the reformed CAP a powerful tool for building a strong, assessment of the reform submitted by the Commission in competitive and sustainable European agriculture capa- analytical documents appended to the legislative package. ble of facing global challenges. The first technical analysis of six out of seven draft regu- Another much more detailed debate about the future lations from the package presented by the Commission of CAP was held at the meeting of the Agriculture and was completed in the working-group forum after approxi- Fisheries Council on 14 November 2011. Its main theme mately 20 meetings. was the Commission’s proposal concerning direct pay- An initial political reaction to the Commission’s pro- ments. The discussion was guided by questions devised posals for the CAP reform was expressed by the EU by the Presidency, which focused on the structure of di- ministers of agriculture at the Council meeting on 20-21 rect payments in the years 2014-2020 as well as distribu- October 2011. Following a presentation by Commissioner tion of direct payments. During a working lunch, minis- Dacian Cioloş, ministers presented their initial assess- ters discussed the issue of greening. It was in the course ments of the proposal. In their opinion, draft regulations of the debate when some Member States voiced their contain numerous solutions which meet expectations misgivings over the definition of the active farmer and of Member States, but also provisions which raise doubts selected elements of greening. On the other hand, pro- and will need to be amended. In the course of discus- posals for small farms and young farmers were generally sions, ministers devoted their attention to what is known approved, whereas a number of delegations underlined as the greening of the Common Agricultural Reform. the need for assuring greater subsidiarity of Member There were also many critical voices concerning further States in the application of this type of support. complexities embedded in CAP implementation instead At the Council meeting in December, the Polish of its expected simplification. Presidency conducted a debate on the Commission’s In their initial speeches, most ministers referred to proposal concerning development of rural areas, which the proposal for levelling of direct payments. On one was continued both during the session of the Council hand, there was clearly strong dissatisfaction with the ab- and the working lunch. The debate was also driven by sence of levelling of direct payments demonstrated by questions devised by the Presidency. Ministers expressed ministers of EU-12 Member States, whereas ministers an opinion on implementation of new challenges via op- from the EU-15 Member States protested against lower erations of the second pillar and commented on possible support resulting from the payment-levelling scenario. more detailed identification of instruments proposed Moreover, it was stressed that Member States must under the rural development policy. Member States are remain flexible in supporting selected profiles ofagri- inclined to agree with the opinion that the said policy cultural production (maintenance of production-related should encourage innovations, investments in farm di- payments). In most speeches, ministers criticised such versity and competitiveness. Urban development policy

161 Report 3.12. The Agriculture and Fisheries Council

should be a policy capable of facing the challenges await- In line with draft regulation of the European Parliament ing the European agriculture. and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No. In the light of provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, deci- 1234/2007 on contractual relations in themilk and dairy- sions concerning CAP-related legislation are subject to products sector (known as the ‘milk package’), the Polish an agreement made by the European Parliament and Presidency initiated efforts to achieve a final Council posi- the EU Council under the ordinary legislative procedure. tion and a stand on the European Parliament’s amend- To address the need for tightening both institutions’ ments. The agreement was reached during the three- cooperation, the Polish Presidency proposed a series sided meeting on 6 December 2011. Key issues contained of open debates on the European Commission’s pro- in the compromise text include: posals for CAP reform until 2020 in the format ofjoint » more bargaining power for milk producers; exchange of opinions between EP, EU Council and » Member States are entitled to introduce the ob- EC representatives. Since the Treaty does not force ligation to make written supply contracts within those institutions to cooperate at such an early stage, their territories; the initiative of the Presidency marked a truly innovative » Member States may stipulate minimum duration approach. The first debate attended by ministers of ag- of the contract lasting at least six months; riculture of EU Member States and members of the EP » prospects for establishment of inter-branch organi- Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development was sations in the milk and dairy- products sector; held on 7 November 2011 in the European Parliament. » monitoring quantities of purchased milk after abo- The discussion centred on the EC’s proposals contained lition of quotas; in the draft regulation package published on 12 October » quality cheese-supply management. 2011. The following debate conducted in a similar format During the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries but attended by representatives of agricultural organisa- Council on 19 July 2011, the Commission issued a com- tions and non-governmental organisations, took place munication on the ‘Green Paper on information provi- on 23 November 2011. The third meeting, held on 19 sion and promotion measures for agricultural products’. December 2011, involved representatives of scientific That marked the start of a debate on altered terms and and research institutions. conditions defining these measures. It was an extremely During the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting important issue for the Polish Presidency, as promotion of 20 September 2011, the Presidency initiated a dialogue of European agro-food products on EU markets and in dedicated to prospects for enhancement of the competi- third countries is essential to ensure European agricul- tive edge of EU agriculture by application of renewable ture’s competitive edge. In addition to political discus- energy sources in urban areas and the role of agriculture sions resulting for the ‘Green Paper’, the Commission in implementing ‘Europe 2020’ strategy objectives in also conducted public consultations during which all the context of climate change. This debate was based interested stakeholder groups, including consumers, on the results of the conference held on 16 July 2011 in producers, traders and representatives of administration Sopot and a discussion staged during a working lunch for were invited to join a discussion to identify frameworks agriculture ministers during the Council of 19 July 2011. of a fine-targeted and ambitious promotion and informa- Member States positively assessed the Presidency’s imi- tion policy. Such efforts are to promote the more effective tative as well as the discussion in the EU forum onthe use use of the European farm and agro-food sector’s abun- of biomass for energy. Member States are convinced that dant resources to better meet the needs of European agriculture can play a key role in implementation of EU and global markets. Consultations were wrapped up environmental objectives, yet the main objective of ag- on 29 November 2011 in Warsaw during a conference riculture, also under the new CAP, should be sustainable titled ‘Promotion of European Agriculture – A New food production. By-products and residues of agricultural Approach’. All those debates contributed to the adop- production must be used for energy. tion at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 15-16 It was stressed that long-distance haulage of biomass December 2011 of conclusions reflecting consultations and its import from third countries have no economic or with all stakeholder groups, including those of the afore- environmental justification. It was also emphasised that mentioned conference and of the discussion held during biomass imported into the EU must meet the same crite- an informal meeting of EU Ministers of Agriculture and ria as that originating in the EU. The results of discussions Fisheries Ministers on 13 September 2011 in support of developing renewable energy sources in During Poland’s EU Council Presidency, work on rural areas will be harnessed to the EC’s further work on the European Parliament’s and Council’s draft regulation legislative proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy on agricultural product quality schemes was completed at after 2013. the Council’s working-group level. The Special Committee on Agriculture gave the Presidency the mandate to

162 initiate negotiations with the European Parliament and 3.12.2. The Common Fisheries Policy reform the Commission. A common position of the European Parliament and the Council regarding the main body of the document, including its key elements, was reached The Polish Presidency conducted the first debate on after three trilateral meetings. An agreement was also the future of the Common Fisheries Policy reform in reached on solutions reinforcing and boosting the effec- the Council forum on 19 July 2011. Before ministers ex- tiveness of Protected Designations of Origins (PDO) and changed their views, the Commission presented assump- Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) as well as main- tions of the reform and stated that the Common Fisheries tenance and optimisation of the Traditional Guaranteed Policy reform was meant to ensure sustainable exploita- Speciality (TGS) scheme, and development of the final tion of living marine resources whilst striving to achieve version of a new definition of mountain farming product. robust economic performance, inclusive growth and The dossier was handed over to the Danish Presidency for enhanced cohesion in coastal regions. In their initial com- further proceedings. mentary on the shape of the reform, ministers of Member Four regulations designed to simplify the Common States most often referred to the principles proposed by Agricultural Policy through the repeal of superfluous the EC with regard to the elimination of unwanted by- legal acts were adopted during the Council meeting on catches in fisheries, obligatory introduction of mandatory 20-21 October 2011 and confirmed by an agreement with long-term fishing concessions, regionalisation of the de- the European Parliament. Consequently, EU legislation on cision-making process and assurance of adequate devel- agriculture was ‘cleansed’ of 46 Council and EP legal acts opment conditions for aquaculture. The need of linking which no longer had any practical application but had the reform’s objectives to the new fisheries-support fund nevertheless remained on the books. for was also raised. Simplification of the CAP was a regular talking point The future of the Common Fisheries Policy was ad- of debates coinciding with discussions of the CAP reform dressed once again during the Council meeting of 14 package to 2020. November 2011, during which its internal dimension was In addition to priorities defined in the Presidency also discussed. The majority of Member States stressed agenda, another important topic addressed by the significance of the Common Fisheries Policy’s in- the Agriculture and Fisheries Council was the future ternal dimension to international fishery cooperation of the Food Distribution Programme for the EU’s Most as well as the significance of the EU countries’ bilateral Disadvantaged. The Polish Presidency introduced agreements with third countries to sustainable marine- that theme to the agenda of Council meetings on 20 resource exploitation. Most Member States were in September, 20-21 October and 14 November 2011. Such favour of devising provisions which would reflect key intensified efforts reflected the difficulty in achieving issues of the Common Fisheries Policy’s internal dimen- a compromise. The Presidency saw the programme as its sion under a new, basic draft regulation governing fishing priority, as it was convinced that in light of Europe’s cur- activities. rent high unemployment and widespread social exclusion In addition, during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council solidarity with the most disadvantaged people must be on 15-16 December 2011, the European Commission demonstrated and efficient continuity of the scheme presented a new draft European Maritime and Fisheries must be ensured at least in 2012 and 2013. Programme- Fund (EMFF). The EMFF budget for the years 2014-2020 oriented initiatives of the Presidency contributed to is to total €6.5b, whereas the total envelope for fisheries a motion presented by the EC on 3 October 2011 which and maritime economy is to amount to €7.4b -(in cur contained two major departures from the previous ver- rent prices). That would include funds for partnership sion. It allowed for acquisition of goods essential for agreements with third countries and contributions to programme implementation on the market and abolished regional fisheries management organisations. According the co-financing requirement. to the Commission’s proposal, the fund’s four main pillars The deadlock produced by the inability of ministers to of would comprise: aquaculture, fisheries, sustainable reach a common position due to the blocking minority fishery, and integrated maritime economy. opposed to the idea of continuing the scheme for another A political agreement concerning2012 catch quotas for two years, was not broken until the 14 November 2011 the Baltic Sea was reached during the Council meeting and officially confirmed at the Council meeting of15 of 20-21 October 2011, whereas the meeting on 15-16 December 2011. December 2011 ended with a political agreement regarding three draft regulations fixing the fishing opportunities for 2012 for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks available in EU waters and to EU vessels in certain non-EU waters – separately for internal and external groups and

163 Report 3.12. The Agriculture and Fisheries Council

a regulation concerning fishing opportunities in the Black Sea in 2012. As a part of its current agenda, the Presidency dealt with issues related to fisheries agreements and related ongoing consultationswith Norway, Greenland, Morocco, Mauritania and other countries. In addition, the Polish Presidency agreed a position for a variety of annual meetings of regional fisheries management organisations (i.e. NEAFC, NAFO, CCAMLR, ICCAT).

3 .12 .3 . Veterinary and phytosanitary issues

When a draft regulation on theelectronic identification of cattle and a directive oncomputer databases were submitted by the Council to the European Commission on 30 August 2011, the Presidency finalised an analysis of their content at the technical-experts level. Compromise texts were handed over to the Danish Presidency. The Polish Presidency continued cooperation with the Commission on development of guidelines for the new ‘Community Plant Health Strategy’. It is expected that draft legal acts will be submitted by the Commission in September 2012. Equally important was the summary of the 6th Session of ‘the Committee on Phytosanitary Measures’ as well as development of the EU position on drafts of the ‘International Plant Protection Convention’. In addition, the Presidency coordinated and built an EU common position on a long-term action plan on Community legislation pertaining to legal protection of varieties and co-participated in the preparation and implementation of a seminar held by DG SANCO entitled ‘EU Plant Variety Rights in the 21st century’.

3 .12 .4Food . safety

On 29 September 2011, the EU Council passed a regulation of the European Parliament and Council on the provision of food information to consumers. To provide consumers with reliable product information, the regulation stand- ardises and simplifies regulations on food labelling, and curtails cases of overlapping Community regulations. In addition, to address consumer expectations, the regulation introduces mandatory nutrition labelling on all food products. Thanks to horizontal agreements concluded by institutions on explanatory documents (correlation tables), a directive concerning vaccinations against Bluetongue disease was adopted. The European Commission stated it would not regard requiring such tables as justified.

164 3.13. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)

3.13.1. Employment and social policy of debt, with a parallel increase in competitiveness and employment. Despite the crisis, it remains a priority of the EU to increase employment and assure basic stand- eld on 7-8 July 2011 was an informal meeting ards of social cohesion. The Member States paid attention Hof ministers for employment and social policy, to the fact that necessary are structural reforms of the la- which was the event that opened the Presidency in bour market, a system of tax incentives motivating peo- the field of employment and social policy. The main ple to undertake employment, appropriate support for subject of the discussion was demographic challenges, entrepreneurs, and systemic adjustment of education and seeking answers to the question of how EU Member and training to the needs of the labour market in the area States understand these challenges and how they cope of skills. Moreover, the need to strengthen the role with them. The session of the ministers was preceded by of the EPSCO Council in the area of economic manage- a meeting of the trio with the representatives of European ment in the European Union was identified. social partners and the Social Platform. During a working lunch of the ministers, on the occasion During the informal meeting of the ministers for of the EPSCO Council on 3 October 2011, challenges re- family and gender equality on 21 October 2011, lated to migration and mobility were discussed. The min- the Presidency invited the ministers to a debate and isters’ discussion concerned various aspects of migration exchange of good practices concerning the legal solu- and mobility processes, accounting for economic, social, tions helping to align professional and private life – and cultural impacts. Tackled were questions of the cur- from the perspective of the maternity directive. During rent level of employment in the labour market and short- the meeting, the representatives of the Presidency Trio ages in the labour force in the country, while the positive Poland–Denmark–Cyprus also signed a joint declaration cases of policies addressed to migrating employees and concerning actions for the promotion of gender equality. mobility that go forth to meet the demands of the labour The session of the ministers was preceded by a confer- market were also presented. Furthermore, discussions ence during which the report concerning the Review focused on how to use the social, cultural, economic po- of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: tential vested in migrations and mobility in future. Women and the Economy. Reconciliation of Work During the Polish Presidency, work continued on and Family Life as a Condition of Equal Participation the proposal of the directive on implementing the prin- in the Labour Market, prepared for the Presidency by ciple of equal treatment among persons irrespective the European Institute for Gender Equality was officially of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. presented. The goal of the directive is introduction of the principle The debates conducted during the two formal meetings of equal treatment of people irrespective of religion of the EPSCO Council (on 3 October and 1 December) or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation outside regarded the implementation of the Europe 2020 strat- the labour market. The proposal defines the framework egy. The discussion focused on the role of the European of the prohibition of discrimination due to the reasons Social Fund (EFS) in the implementation of the Europe mentioned above, and sets the uniform minimum level 2020 strategy. The ministers presented their experiences of protection within the European Union for people who concerning the EFS, pointed to the priorities of the EU for have been affected by such discrimination. The proposal the future and discussed how to improve the efficiency complements the existing community legal framework, of operation and using the funds of the Fund. Among which stipulates that the ban on discrimination linked the factors emphasised was the need to simplify the pro- to religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation cedures for using the EFS, reducing bureaucracy and sim- applies only within the area of employment, work, and plification of procedures, inclusion of partners at local and occupational training. Presented during the December regional levels, and greater flexibility of the EFS. The re- EPSCO Council was a report from the progress of work on sults of the debate were communicated to the General the proposal. It mentions that, despite the major progress Affairs Council to be taken into consideration while nego- achieved in fine-tuning of the clauses concerning age tiating the cohesion policy in the following EU budgeting as a factor of discrimination during the Polish Presidency, period. there is a clear need for further work on the proposal. The second subject block was the implementation In October 2008, the European Commission presented of the Europe 2020 strategy in the area of employ- a proposal for adjusting the Proposal for a Directive ment and social policy. The ministers analysed the first amending Council Directive 92/85/EEC of 19 October year of experience in implementing the strategy and 1992 concerning the implementation of measures to en- exchanged opinions concerning expectations for the fu- courage improvements in the safety and health of preg- ture. Expressed during the debate was the understand- nant workers, workers who have recently given birth ing of the need for financial consolidation and reduction and women who are breastfeeding. The main premise

165 Report 3.13. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)

of the proposal is the extension of maternity leave from concerning the protection of staff against the negative im- 14 to 18 weeks, and also introduction of additional ma- pact of electromagnetic fields. The intention of the Polish ternity leave in specific cases (e.g. multiple birth). This Presidency was to adopt the general approach, yet due to proposal also aims at the improvement of employee the dossier’s complexity and technical nature and the di- rights of the groups of women mentioned in the title vergence of opinions of Member States and the European of the directive. The position of the European Parliament Commission – and, as a consequence, the need to con- regarding the proposal was adopted on 20 October 2010. tinue work on the proposal – at the December EPSCO During the work on the project, the Presidency tackled Council the Presidency only presented the report from the subject at the informal meeting of ministers for family the work in progress. and gender equality in a broader context of aligning pro- Also initiated during the Polish Presidency was work on fessional and private life, and also represented the Council the draft of a proposal concerning the proposal for a regu- in the plenary debate in the European Parliament, lation of the European Parliament and of the Council the course of which pointed to certain symptoms of flexi- amending Regulation (EC) No 1927/2006 establishing bility and openness on behalf of the European Parliament. the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). Accounting for that fact, the Presidency conducted a dis- The goal of the proposed regulation was extension – to 31 cussion concerning the key issues related to the proposed December 2013 – of the divergences related to the possi- Amendment of the Directive 92/85/EEC, which is vari- bility of applying for EFG funds in the case of citing the eco- ous options of extension of and payment for maternity nomic crisis as the grounds for such an application, and leave, at the level of the working group on social ques- divergences related to the increased co-financing from tions. The Presidency presented a report on the progress the Fund to 65%. These divergences were introduced in of the work at the December EPSCO Council, showing that 2009 and expired on 31 December 2011. In the discus- a flexible approach on behalf of the European Parliament sion, the Member States presented diverging positions. may allow further constructive dialogue between the co- Despite the effort undertaken by the Presidency, and legislators and a possible future compromise. presentation of altogether four compromise proposals, The Presidency continued work on the Proposal for in voting none obtained the required majority. Due to a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council the lack of a solution in the case at the level of the EPSCO amending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordina- Council on 1 December 2011 the Presidency decided to tion of social security systems and Regulation (EC) No present the Council only with the report from the work 987/2009 laying down the procedure for implementing in progress. Regulation (EC) No 883/2004. Its basic goal is to update Moreover, the Presidency brought about the adoption the regulations mentioned above, so that they account of conclusions of the Council concerning: for the changes in the legislation of the Member States » Facing demographic challenges: institutional on social protection and the changes in social reality that cooperation of Member States concerning de- influence the coordination of the systems of social protec- mographic questions and alignment of work and tion, and also so that they include solutions of the current family life – the conclusions adopted a call for rein- legal problems that arose during their implementation. forcing institutional collaboration at the European The proposal mentioned above also aimed at the elimina- and national levels and exchange of information tion of the unfavourable outcomes that could be expe- concerning questions related to the influence rienced by an employee/a self-employed person due to of current demographic challenges (including commencing and continuation of professional activity the ageing of societies) on the developing practices in various Member States. Finally, the Polish Presidency of aligning working and family lives. The EU Council managed to work out a consensus and adopt a gen- urged Member States to add the actions recom- eral approach to the above-mentioned regulation during mended by the conclusions to National Reform the December EPSCO Council. Programmes in reference to the second European The Polish Presidency commenced work on a Proposal Semester. for a Directive on the minimum health and safety » The role of voluntary services in social policy; requirements regarding the exposure of workers to conclusions emphasise the role and importance the risks arising from physical agents (electromagnetic of voluntary services for the reinforcement of com- fields). The need to revise the requirements contained mon European values concerning social cohe- in the directive is primarily related to the requirement sion, solidarity, and active citizenship expressed to adjust the directive to new scientific data concerning in the treaties of the European Union. Moreover, electromagnetic threats and limiting the negative impact they also point to the potential of voluntary ser- of legal regulations on the operation of certain sectors vices in the context of demographic challenges of the economy by proposing more flexible requirements and implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy.

166 The adopted document is also a call to embark 3.13.2. Health on concrete actions on behalf of the European Commission and Member States focused on the development of voluntary service in Europe Implementation of the priority within the area of public and beyond its borders. health in respect of reducing differences in the health » Ageing as an opportunity for the labour market and of European societies was reflected in the elaboration development of social services and community ac- of three conclusions by the Polish Presidency. tions; the conclusions referred to the phenomenon The first of them concerned prevention, early - detec of ageing of societies as a process that will increas- tion, and treatment of chronic diseases of the respira- ingly determine the functioning of the societies and tory system in children. Among the actions proposed economies of EU Member States. The conclusions in the text of the conclusion was acknowledgment of ill- include the obligation to adopt the common princi- nesses of the respiratory tract in children in national pro- ples for active ageing in the coming year. They are grammes of health and the development of a European to contribute, among other things, to a reduction system for monitoring of illnesses of the system. Another in premature leaving of the labour market, use important subject tackled by the Polish Presidency was of the potential of the elderly in activities of a social the question of early detection and treatment of com- nature, combating discrimination, and promotion munication disorders in children, accounting for the use of investment in lifelong learning. of e-health tools and innovative solutions. Particular- at » A review of implementation of the Beijing Action tention was devoted to the reinforcement of international Platform: alignment of professional and family collaboration in the area of communication disorders by life as the preliminary condition for equal share the development of the European Reference Networks in the labour market. The EU Council adopted that allow exchange of knowledge and good practices, conclusions in which it calls upon Member States maintaining statistics, and gathering epidemiological and the European Commission to undertake data. The third question was the decrease in differences activities for alignment of work with family and in health in the EU based on an organised campaign for private life. Especially, it focuses on the following the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. The proposals for ac- questions: care services, regulations concerning tion identified in the conclusions concern among others maternity and paternity leave, flexible conditions continuation and development of policies, programmes, of employment, and equal rights for women and and campaigns aimed at the promotion of healthy lifestyle men. The conclusions of the Council were accom- and counteracting the main risk factors, that is smoking panied by a report prepared for the Presidency by tobacco, excessive consumption of alcohol, improper the European Institute for Gender Equality. diet, and lack of physical activity. » Follow-up to the first European Semester and Additionally, the activity of the Presidency concern- thematic supervision in the area of employment ing health pertained to seeking solutions helping to and social policies (prepared in collaboration combat the negative impacts of an ageing population. with the Employment Committee and the Social One of the health priorities of the Polish Presidency was Protection Committee). As far as the evaluation to counteract neurodegenerative illnesses, including of the first European Semester and preparations Alzheimer’s disease. The question of active and healthy for the following one were concerned, the EU ageing is strictly connected to the priority. Broadly con- Council adopted the conclusions identifying the ac- ceived, the subject of ageing is a subject of the work tions that should be undertaken by the Member of the Commission and Council in three areas: innovation States, the European Commission, the Employment and competitiveness, public health, and social affairs. Committee (EMCO), and the Social Protection The goal of the Presidency was to pay special attention Committee (SPC) in 2012. In the light of the docu- to the increase in expenditure on research on diseases ment, the implementation of the National Reform of the brain, including conducting and stronger coordina- Programmes, recommendations for the individual tion of scientific research within the entire EU, recogni- states, and obligations resulting from the Euro Plus tion of needs and gathering credible epidemiological data Pact should account for opinions of social partners on the diseases and improvements of the potential for and programmes of fiscal consolidation. The ad- use thereof, improvement of care of patients with brain visory institutions of the EU named in the conclu- diseases that require an interdisciplinary, professional, sions were called to support Member States and and multisectoral approach integrating the area of help the European Commission in designing solutions and social aid, establishment of additional services for favouring macroeconomic balance and preventing better satisfaction of the needs of patients and their- car negative social phenomena. egivers, solution of ethical problems caused by the illness,

167 Report 3.13. Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)

promotion of proximity and counteracting social exclu- The priority of reducing differences in health between sion, and reinforcement of the legal protection of patients EU states became the leading subject of the ministe- affected with these illnesses. rial conference in Poznań entitled ‘Solidarity in Health – As part of the performance of the tasks in the area Closing the health gap between European Union states’. of public health concerning the prevention of brain dis- Among the topics discussed during the conference were eases, neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s the reasons for differences in the state of health of popu- disease, during the expert conference entitled ‘First lations of EU Member States and health problems pre- European day of the brain. Ageing, stroke and Alzheimer’s sent in the individual states, and the ensuing challenges disease – finding innovative solutions’, discussion focused for the authors of health policies. The delegations agreed on prioritisation of brain research, innovative diagnostics that actions for the promotion of health and reduction and treatment, and also organisation of care and social of health differences must be intensified and attention integration of elderly people affected with the diseases. must focus on the differences in health between Member The Presidency began work in the working group States and within them as well as between various re- on a new proposal for a Regulation of the European gions and social groups in the EU. Also noticed was a need Parliament and Council on information to the general for better use of the available data and comparative data, public on medicinal products subject to medical pre- as well as information about unhealthy lifestyles, condi- scription and as regards pharmacovigilance. Further tions determining the state of health, and non-infectious work on the proposals will be conducted by the Danish chronic diseases. This information should be acquired Presidency. The undoubted achievements of the Polish from the already operating permanent health monitor- Presidency in the scope discussed here was having – in ing systems or systems that could be implemented at EU a short time – the European Commission commence work level. on the division of the proposal into two parts (separate regulations concerning information and regulations concerning the monitoring of the undesirable impact of phar- 3.13.3. Consumer protection maceutical products), which will make it possible to efficiently finish the work in the Council on the regulations concerning supervision of safety of pharmacotherapy and The Polish Presidency planned to initiate work on a judicious approach to the question of further work on the Consumer Policy Strategy, which will define the chal- regulations concerning information on prescription drugs. lenges of the EU in the scope of consumer protection The Presidency succeeded in reaching an agree- in 2014–2020. The document was accounted for in ment with the European Parliament in the first reading the plans of the work of the European Commission for of the European Parliament and Council Directive amend- 2011; nevertheless, work on the proposal was delayed ing Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices as the European Commission intends to change the for- and certain similar products intended for human con- mula of the documents and introduce changes both in sumption. The change to the directive is to account for the substance-related layer and in the way in which work the technological progress in the methods of producing on its preparation is performed. According to the Work fruit juices and certain similar products which took place Programme of the European Commission for 2012, after 2001. The Presidency began working on the pro- the document is to be adopted in the second quarter posal for the Resolution of the European Parliament and of 2012 with the name European Consumer Agenda. the Council on food for infants and young children As far as strengthening of cooperation in the area of pro- and foods for special medical purposes. In line with tection and enforcement of consumer rights are con- the proposal of the Presidency, introduced were changes cerned, planned during the Polish Presidency was the con- concerning packaged food and presentation of informa- tinuation of negotiations conducted by the European tion. The Polish Presidency presented the report from Commission involving agreements between the European the work in progress at the session of the EPSCO Council Union and the United States, and concerning the enforce- on 2 December 2011. ment of consumer protection law, general product A further important point on the agenda of the ses- safety and information exchange. These plans, however, sion of the Council was the exchange of views by min- were not completed, as the European Commission in- isters of health concerning the proposal concerning formed that in the question of enforcement of the right the Resolution of the European Parliament and the Council to consumer protection the problem of personal data on the establishment of the ‘Health for economic growth’ protection still remains unsolved, and focused attention programme for the years 2014–2020 and emphasising on the fact that there are political factors influencing the connection between the state of health of EU citizens the lack of progress in the negotiations. In reference to and economic growth. the understanding on the cooperation concerning general

168 product safety and information exchange, the work was suspended due to the lack of possibility of negotiating equal access to information by its parties. Due to the internal regulations binding in the United States, there is no possibility of ensuring EU Member States the same access to the information held by the American administration as the American side would gain through the RAPEX system.

169 Report

3.14. Environment Council

3.14.1. Climate changes Additionally, the Presidency made significant progress in the implementation of numerous international conventions and agreements. During the first session he Presidency reached a difficult compromise and of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Tagreed the EU negotiation policy for the Conference Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), decisions of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework concerning the principles of its operation were made and Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban (de- principles and procedures regulating the work of the IPBES spite the major differences in the positions of the Member platform were considered, while also discussed were States, concerning among others the accession of the EU the rules of its membership, functions of the plenary to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, session, number of the chairs and their functions, and and also the transfer and use of the excess (AAUs), questions related to additional organs. The meeting was adopted by the conclusions of the Environment Council of a working nature, and its objective was to prepare deci- on 10 October 2011. During the COP 17, held from 28 sions that will be made at the following plenary session November to 10 December 2011 in Durban, thanks to in 2012. the activity of the Polish Presidency the following goals At the 7th Session of the Working Group on Article 8(j) could be achieved: and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological » adoption of the second commitment period Diversity (Montreal, 31 October – 4 November 2011) of the Kyoto Protocol, in this way assuring continu- concerning the need to respect, preserve and maintain ation of the reduction obligations of the states after knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous 2012 and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles » agreement of the plan for reaching the new, legally relevant for the sustainable use of biological diversity, binding global pact on climate protection, embrac- a range of recommendations that will help in making ing all the parties of the UN Framework Convention ambitious and realistic decisions during CBD COP11 and on Climate Change, which is to be adopted no later regard respecting and rejecting the traditional knowledge than in 2015 and come into force in 2020 of indigenous and local communities in reference to bio- » adoption of the decision to operationalise diversity were adopted thanks to the Polish Presidency. the Adaptation Committee for the Cancun Moreover, the Presidency significantly contrib- Adaptation Framework. uted to the progress of work during the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), at which 3.14.2. Protection of biodiversity the most important questions concerning combating desertification were discussed, along with streamlining of mechanisms of financing and functioning The work of the Presidency focused on the continuation of the Convention (programme of work of the Convention of work on the implementation of the EU biodiversity strat- for 2012–2013) and implementation of the 10-year stra- egy with a view to 2020, and coordination of the national tegic plan by 2018. positions, reflecting the EU interests in the area of biodi- At the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties to versity, and connected to the implementation of the deci- the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory sions adopted during the 10th meeting of the Conference Species of Wild Animals two agreements concerning of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity the protection of birds of prey and protection of sharks Nagoya (COP 10) and preparing proposals of COP 11 were concluded, with respect to the fact that these spe- decisions. The Presidency made the Environment Council cies cross the borders of state jurisdictions in their various adopt, on 19 December 2011, extended conclusions to life cycles and their protection therefore requires the con- the European Commission communication concerning certed efforts of all the states in which the species live. The strategies of biodiversity by 2020. The conclu- Additionally, the Presidency made significant progress sions provide guidelines for the European Commission in the scope of implementation of other international and Member States in respect of the implementation conventions and agreements. From 11 to 14 July 2011, of the new strategy by 2020. They contain ambitious and in Jersey in the Channel Islands, the 63rd meeting specific remarks concerning horizontal matters and ac- of the International Whaling Commission (IWC 63) tivities implementing six goals of the Strategy. Moreover, was held. The Polish Presidency succeeded in agreeing the Presidency achieved progress in the implementation a joint position of the EU – for the first time in the history of obligations resulting fromthe Convention on Biological of operation of the IWC – concerning the improvement Diversity (CBD), also including the so-called package deci- of the principles of operation. sions adopted during the COP 10 in Nagoya.

171 Report 3.14. Environment Council

3.14.2.1. Process of sustainable development (Rio+20) concerning the selection of appropriate goals and tools for its implementation – the Presidency embarked on work The Polish Presidency of the EU Council brought fresh aimed at focusing further activities of the Commission dynamism to the process of establishing a common concerning the selection of goals and instruments for position of the EU and Member States for the Rio+20 their implementation, initially proposed by the European Conference. The Presidency brought about the devel- Commission in the roadmap, concluded with the adop- opment of conclusions of the Council of 10 October tion of the conclusions of the Environment Council on 19 2011, being the first political position of the EU within December 2011. the framework of preparation for the Rio+20 pro- The adopted conclusions were intended to define cess – the conference aimed at the renewal of political the directions of Europe’s actions aimed at achievement obligations in the area of sustainable development. of a sustainable and competitive economy. An important The conclusions adopted contained the political message issue tackled in the conclusions is calling the European of the EU and the Member States concerning the vision Commission to make impact assessments of instruments and expectations towards the first Rio+20 process and of policies for efficient use of resources. Also significant is the results of the Conference. Additionally, a measurable the reference to the indexes that the European Commission effect of the work of the Presidency was the develop- is to propose by the end of 2013, and the process of their ment of the contribution of the EU and the 27 Member development, which should take place with the partici- States to the Zero Draft document and submission of it pation of all the stakeholders (including business, NGOs, to the UNDESA by 1 November 2011. The document pro- academia, and representatives of government). vides the grounds for negotiation of the final document of the Conference. This contribution is based on the political framework defined by the conclusions of the Council 3.14.4. Current work on the instruments of concerning the Rio+20, referring, however, in greater environmental protection policy detail to specific questions, proposals of solutions, and options of reforms present in the global debate. A further result of the work of the Presidency was the develop- One of the priority activities of the Polish Presidency was ment of the position of the EU and Member States to the debate over the direction of the future environment the position of the pan-European region for the Rio+20 policy. The Presidency brought about the development Conference during the Regional Preparatory Meeting to and adoption by the Environment Council (on 10 October Rio+20 within the United Nations Economic Commission 2011) of conclusions concerning the evaluation of the6th for Europe. Environment Action Plan. The Member States supported In Poland, the Presidency organised a conference the continuation of the shaping of environmental policy on ‘Sharing Green Economy Best Practices – towards by the quickest possible adoption of the 7th Environment Rio+20’ with the participation of EU Member States and Action Plan. The conclusions provide grounds for non-EU countries of key importance for the process: the Danish Presidency’s work on the next programme. Brazil, China, India, the US, Japan, and other stakehold- A great success of the Polish Presidency was bringing ers, including representatives of international institutions about the conclusion of legislative work on the pro- and organisations (UNEP, World Bank), and Sha Zukang, posal for a Regulation concerning the introduction to the Rio+20 Secretary-General. The conference was held the market and use of biocidal products. The new regu- in Warsaw on 11-12 October 2011. The good practices lation aims to replace the current European Parliament presented at the conference were published on the of- and Council Directive 98/8/EC of 16 February 1998. It ficial website of Rio+20 run by UNDESA, as a contribution contains solutions that fill the gaps in the directive and to the global discussion concerning the Green Economy in correct some of its provisions that proved unsatisfactory the context of Rio+20. following assessment of its results. Moreover, the clauses of the proposal of the regulation fine-tune the principles for issuing permits for trading biocides, not described in 3.14.3. Efficient use of resources the directive, and also contain a number of simplifica- tions and explanations to ensure a more harmonised approach throughout Europe, reduction of costs for Despite the late date (20 September 2011) of the pub- the industry, and greater protection of the environment lication of the Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe and of the health of people and animals. communication by the European Commission, a comple- The other important legal act was the proposal for ment to the Europe 2020 strategy and the flagship initia- transformation of Directive 2002/96/EC of the European tive ‘A resource-efficient Europe’ – the leading initiative Parliament and Council on waste electrical and electronic

172 equipment (WEEE). The new version of the directive health of people. Agreed during the conference were envisages that it will extend its scope, and consequently a number of decisions concerning further management the obligation to manage properly all used electric and of activities of the convention, including the agreement electronic appliances, with the exception only of strictly on the working plan for the Basel Convention for the years specified cases, which will strengthen the current level 2012–2021, which defines the strategic goals and states of environmental protection and health protection from and specifies the means of their implementation. dangerous substances and assure the retrieval of precious recyclable materials. Among the changes introduced for equipment producers was the possibility of nominat- ing an authorised representative, without the obligation to have a base in all EU states, and harmonisation of the requirements in registering and reporting the activity of equipment producers in all the Member States. A further change was in the manner in which the level of collection of the used electric and electronic appliances was calculated, which moved away from the previous rigid level, thus making it possible to account for the variety in the electric and electronic appliances market in the Member States. Moreover, the directive also introduces a new requirement of organising collection points of small-sized equipment in large shops selling electric and electronic appliances. As a result, it will be possible to leave broken small electric and electronic appliances in a shop without the need to purchase new electric and/ or electronic appliances, as has previously been the case. Unfortunately, the Polish Presidency did not manage to complete legislative work on the SEVESO Directive (concerning control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances) because of the lack of agreement in the Council in two issues: the scope of the directive (category 3 part H2 Health Hazards in the Annex I), and access to the justice system. Unfortunately, the Polish Presidency did not manage to complete legislative work on the proposal for the Regulation of the European Parliament and Council concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals (PIC), even though it continued until practically the last day of the Presidency. Despite the fact that it was impossible to make the Member States agree on the issue, the draft text of the act prepared by the Polish Presidency is practically ready for the trialogue, and subsequently for closure of the dossier in the first quarter of 2012. Worthy of additional attention in the global context are the results of the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (COP 10), which was held in Cartagena in Columbia from 17 to 21 October 2011. A success of the COP was the breaking of the long-term impasse concerning the interpretation of Art. 17 § 5 of the Basel Convention, which paved the way for the implementation of the so-called ‘Ban Amendment’, the ban on exporting dangerous waste from OECD countries to the states that do not belong to the organisation. The ban’s objective is protection of the latter states, which, as a rule do not have sufficient technological capacity to manage dangerous waste in a manner be safe for the environment and

173 Report

3.15. EU Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport

3.15.1. Competencies for Europe of the High Level Group on Education and Training, and by ministers during the session of the Council, Member States sent a clear message about the need for further in- contribution to the development of the Eastern vestment in education as a condition for the development APartnership, in its capacity as a horizontal priority of human and social capital. The Presidency also empha- of the Polish Presidency, was the conference on the Eastern sised the need for full use of Europe’s intellectual capital Dimension of Mobility (Warsaw, 6-7 July 2011), de- and strengthening of the mobility of academics and voted to the question of mobility of students, teachers, students, among others, by the organisation of the Marie academics, young people, and entities of the sport and Curie Researchers Symposium: ‘SCIENCE – Passion, culture sector. The conference was organised jointly with Mission, Responsibilities’ (Warsaw, 25-27 September the European Commission by the ministries of national 2011), during which the European Commission launched education, science and higher education, culture and the online Marie Curie Alumni platform. Moreover, national heritage, and sport and tourism. In the conclu- the Presidency managed to have the name of the pro- sions adopted, the participants urged among others for gramme changed to ‘Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions’. stronger participation of entities from partner states in Also, as a part of the actions for the support of the Eastern current and future programmes of the European Union. dimension of mobility, a debate of ministers of the EU and countries of the Eastern Partnership under the title ‘Go East, Erasmus!’ was held in Białystok (28 September 3.15.2. Education (including higher) 2011), concerning an increase in the share of Eastern Partnership states in EU academic mobility programmes. As far as the Modernisation of Education priority is As part of the implementation of the Education for concerned, the Presidency brought about the adoption Mobility priority, the Presidency organised a range of the conclusions of the Council (28 November 2011) of events during which final documents were adopted: concerning modernisation of higher education, which a declaration concerning the promotion of language emphasised, among other things, the need to undertake learning and multilingualism for the closing of the con- actions for increasing the number of higher education ference on ‘Language competences for professional and graduates, improving the quality of education, adjust- social success in Europe’ (Warsaw, 28-29 September ment of graduates’ competencies to the requirements 2011), a declaration concerning mobility in the new gen- of the labour market, and also reinforcement of connec- eration of EU educational programmes being the result tions within the triangle of knowledge: education–sci- of the ‘Mobility as a tool to acquire and develop com- entific research–innovation. The most important events petences from childhood to seniority’ conference in this context were the conference on ‘Modernisation (Sopot, 17-19 October 2011), and also conclusions of higher education’ (Sopot, 23-25 October 2011), and concerning increasing the efficiency of tools support- the meeting of General Directors for High Education ing the competences of young people adopted during (Cracow, 11-12 October 2011). This subject range was the ‘Effective policies for the development of competen- also complemented by the conference on ‘Developing cies of the youth in Europe’ conference (Warsaw, 16-18 cooperation between VET, higher education and adult November 2011). The subjects were also tackled by min- learning in response to the challenge of lifelong learning’ isters for compulsory education at a conference devoted (Warsaw, 23 September 2011). to the significance of language competencies for mobility in the aspect of lifelong learning and future employment (Gdańsk, 11 October 2011). All these events made 3.15.3. Young people a contribution to the development of the conclusions of the Council – adopted during the session of the EU Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport on 28 As part of the Youth and the World priority, November 2011 – regarding language competencies that the Presidency attained its assumed objectives, focusing allow increased mobility, conclusions concerning the level on questions related to mobility and to the Eastern di- of reference for educational mobility, and also the reso- mension of participation of young people. The Presidency lution of the Council concerning the renewed European held a systemised dialogue with young people. In the de- agenda in the area of adult education. bate, which made use of social media, more than 12,000 young people took the floor. The conclusion took the form Following the debates initiated by the Presidency and of the EU Youth Conference (Warsaw, 5-7 September concerning the efficient investment in education and 2011) with the participation of representatives of young training in the time of crisis, conducted in the forum people from all over Europe and countries of the Eastern

175 Report 3.15. EU Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport

Partnership and Russia. Recommendations from the con- (Lublin, 12-15 October 2010) devoted to the role of public ference were a contribution to Council conclusions on and cultural diplomacy in the European Union. the Eastern dimension of youth participation and mobility, adopted on 28 November 2011, which emphasised, among other things, the achievements of the existing 3.15.5. Audio and video issues programme supporting mobility, and pointed to the need for increasing access to visas for young people, mostly from the countries neighbouring the EU. In its conclu- The Polish Presidency succeeded in the adoption sions, the European Commission also undertook to of Council conclusions on the protection of children in intensify work on the opening of the so-called Window the digital world, which focused on the need for promot- of the Eastern Partnership Programme Youth in Action, ing knowledge of safety on the Internet and development which will take place in 2012. The documents developed of digital competencies among children, parents, teachers, by the Presidency provide the grounds for accounting for and guardians. The document also recommends the use the neighbourhood dimension of participation and mobil- of a range of technical means for more efficient protection ity of youth during the negotiation of a new generation of children against illegal and potentially harmful content. of EU programmes in the area of youth, development Also adopted was a Council Decision concerning of collaboration with the Council of Europe for joint ac- the signing of the European Convention on the legal pro- tions serving better integration of young people from tection of services based on, or consisting of, conditional within and outside the European Union. access, which will allow the European Union and Member States accession to the Council of Europe Convention, increasing the efficiency of protection against piracy in 3 .15 .4 . Culture services offered against payment, e.g. Pay-TV and Video- on-Demand (VoD). During the informal meeting of the ministers for audio The most important achievement of the Polish and video matters of the European Union (Wrocław, 9 Presidency was the adoption on 29 November 2011 September 2011), which was held as part of the European of the conclusions of the Council concerning culture Culture Congress, the ministers discussed the digitalisa- and creative competencies and the role in the building tion of cultural heritage and protection of digital re- of Europe’s intellectual capital. The conclusions portray sources, including the future of the European portal. the role that these competences play in the acquisition The subject was also discussed during the Competencies of competencies that are vital to lifelong learning, coun- in Culture conference (Warsaw, 18-20 July 2011). tering dropping out from school education, promoting employment, and supporting innovation. Moreover, the key role of creating and supporting creative partner- 3 .15 .6 . Sport ships between sectors of culture and education, research, and business was highlighted. The subject was discussed in detail during the ‘Competences in Culture’ conference As part of implementation of the ‘Development (Warsaw, 18-20 July 2011). of new European initiatives in the field of sport’ priority, Moreover, the Presidency concluded the work related the Presidency confronted the subject of threats to the in- to the establishment of the European Heritage Label, tegrity of sport; sports policy based on economic facts; accelerating the procedure of adopting the decision the social dimension of sport. These questions were of the European Parliament and Council in the subject, discussed during, among others, the Meeting of EU Sport and also developing the decision of the Council con- Directors (Gdańsk, 14-16 December 2011), the ‘From vol- cerning the practical aspects of selection of members unteering to leadership in sport’ conference (Warsaw, 13- of the European panel of Label experts by the Council. 14 September), and the ‘Equalising opportunities through During the session of the Council, the Presidency conduct- sport as an element of social policy’ conference (Wrocław, ed a debate among ministers of culture concerning the role 18-19 July 2011). of European statistics in the area of culture and the need A success of the Presidency was the initiation of dialogue to support their creation. Moreover, the Presidency paid with the broad sporting movement concerning fighting great attention to the role and place of culture in external match-fixing, and adoption of relevant conclusions by relations of the European Union, for that reason conduct- the Council. The question was discussed in detail during ing a range of information activities concerning collabo- the informal meeting of ministers of sport (Cracow, 13-14 ration in the area of culture with the countries covered October 2011) with participation of representatives from by the Eastern Partnership, and organising an informal the world of sport. meeting of higher officers of ministries of culture and offi- Adopted on 29 November 2011 were conclusions on vol- cials responsible for culture in ministries of foreign affairs untary services in sport in the promotion of civic activity

176 and the resolution of the Council concerning the representations of EU Member States in the Founding Council of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and coordination of the position of EU Member States before WADA sessions.

177 Report

4 .

The image and the evaluation of the Presidency in Poland and abroad

4 .1 . The Polish Presidency in the eyes of key stakeholders in Brussels

n January 2012, teamed up with Burson-Marsteller In additi on, the journalists appreciated easy access to Iconsulti ng agency, the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs ministers of the Polish government as well as ti mely and distributed online questi onnaires to Commissioner’s reliable informati on. The Presidency was recognised for cabinets and over 2,000 Poles employed by European the professionalism of its representati ves, especially in insti tuti ons to obtain feedback about the percepti on the context of current politi cal and economic challenges of the Polish Presidency by the above audiences. In addi- in Europe. Some respondents were very impressed by ti on, informal in-depth telephone surveys were conduct- the fact that the parliamentary electi ons in Poland had no ed with six leading journalists specialising in EU aff airs. negati ve impact on the quality of its Presidency. The two fi rst respondent groups highly evaluated Criti cal voices mainly focused on certain logisti c aspects the Polish Presidency (over 75% of answers), praising and limited access to ministers during informal councils in good communicati on, leadership and cooperati on with Poland, but it should be stressed that media reiterate this EU insti tuti ons. point during almost every presidency. Respondents indicated that strong points of the Polish Presidency included promoti on of Poland and Polish design.

Graph 5. Evaluati on of the Presidency – survey results

‘Overall, it was a successful Presidency of the Council’

Agree Neutral Disagree

The Polish community The European Commission (240 responses) (49 responses)

Chart 6. Evaluati on of the Presidency - survey results

‘The Presidency used its potenti al in promoti ng Poland, Polish culture and Polish design’

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree No opinion The European Commission (49 responses)

181 Report

4.2. The image of the Presidency in the European media

ommissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tusk for ‘El País’, of Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski CBurson-Marsteller conducted a study of the image for ‘Guardian’, ‘Le Soir’, ‘The Irish Time’, ‘European of the Polish Presidency in the European media which Voice’, of Plenipotentiary Mikołaj Dowgielewicz for ‘FAZ’, covered 887 media releases in over 60 titles and the lead- ‘European Voice’, ‘Politiken’ and ‘Le Monde’. ing blogs in five EU states and Brussels. The overwhelm- The Presidency organised four study visits for European ing majority of releases were published by media media representatives that focused on key themes and specialising in EU affairs or pan-European ones. These events of the Presidency (inauguration/political agenda, were mainly Agence Europe, Europolitics, EurActiv, EU budget, Eastern Partnership summit, cohesion policy). EUObserver, and European Voice, while several key A valuable element of the European media study is features were also published by The Wall Street Journal the gap analysis which compares the presidency’s mes- Europe and The International Herald Tribune. sage highlighting its priorities versus the efficiency of its The Presidency received little publicity from the nation- reach to the media and the public (read more about it al media – the graph below depicts figures on the number in chapter 2.5.12. Public diplomacy and cooperation with of releases in German, French, British, Italian and Spanish the media). It confirms the limited role of the Presidency media versus media specialising in EU issues. The Polish within the frameworks of the post-Lisbon institutional sys- Presidency was mainly publicised around its inauguration tem – the PM and Ministers were frequently quoted, but in July and during intensification of programming efforts media rarely made direct references to the Presidency. in October and November. Coverage was dominated by On the other hand, it is a success that media wrote neutral and positive reports. There were also several about priority issues from the perspective of the Polish critical publications, yet these were isolated cases which Presidency (Eastern Partnership, economic growth, failed to form a wider trend. Multiannual Financial Framework, Single Market, energy Most frequently commented topics during the Polish policy and coherence policy), despite the fact that they Presidency included the crisis in the Eurozone, Ukraine did not always highlight the role of the presidency in in the context of the arrest of the former Ukrainian PM this context. Such approach was mainly an after-effect Yulia Tymoshenko, the Eastern Partnership, the six-pack, of the economic crisis which largely dominated the EU the Durban summit, the speech of PM Donald Tusk at agenda. Given such circumstances, little room was left the European Parliament and the speech given by Foreign for initiatives focused on education, health, agriculture Minister Sikorski in Berlin. or social policy – issues which mainly captured the atten- The Presidency inspired publication of 14 articles au- tion of specialist titles, such as EU Observer and Agence thored by representatives of the Presidency (Op-Eds) in Europe. selected European titles, including a feature of PM Donald Number of articles including the term Graph 7. Number of releases in the European 'Polish media Presidency‘ - tendency

160

140

120 EUUE 100 UKUK 80 FranceFrance GermanyGermany 60 Number of releases

Number ofNumber articles ItalyItaly 40 SpainSpain

0 JuneVI JulyVII August VIII September IX October X November XI December XII

183 Report

4.3. The image of the Presidency in the Polish media

ommissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, The majority of press releases were medium-length CBurson-Marsteller conducted a study of the image arti cles and news releases. During the six months of the Presidency in the Polish media. From July unti l of the Presidency an average Pole had an opportu- December 2011 there were 3,795 presidency-focused nity to read 37 related news items. Substanti ve coverage releases in the press and 3,921 TV broadcasts. The study of the Presidency was mainly published in July, and later covered over a thousand nati onal regional, trade and in September and December, whereas non-substanti ve specialist ti tles as well as key radio and TV networks. messages dominated over factual ones in October. Key investi gated words included overall assessment and Most releases had a nati onwide range, especially positi oning of the Polish Presidency, its organisati on and as regards television networks, whereas the remaining logisti cs, presidency programme and prioriti es, Eastern ones had provincial or local range. Most acti ve media Partnership, tourism and promoti on of regions, cultural were those based in provinces which hosted Presidency programme, patronage and sponsorship, promoti on and meeti ngs (Małopolska, Mazovia, Pomeranian and Greater media visibility, meeti ngs and conferences, and human Poland Voievodships), except for media from Lower Silesia resources. which produced three ti mes less Presidency coverage Every fourth release in the Polish media portrayed than their counterparts from the Małopolska or Mazovia the Presidency in the positi ve light. Coverage was domi- Voievodships and even less than media from Kuyavian- nated by neutral news-oriented reports. Negati ve cover- Pomeranian or West Pomeranian Voievodships. age accounted for merely 7% of all releases.

Graph 8. Number of releases by size and recepti on

3000 17,9% 27,3% 34,4% 2500 74,4%

65,1% 2000 60,3% 1500

1000 Liczba publikacji Liczba publikacji Number of releases 500 5,3% 7,6% 7,6%

0 Artyku Notka Wzmianka Arti cleł News release Menti on NegatywneN e g a ti v e NeutralneNeutral PozytywnePositi ve

Graph 9. Number of releases by channel, range and recepti on

4000 27,8% 3500 3000 66,6% 2500 25,8% 2000 20,3% 69,3% 66,2% 1500 42,0% 1000 56,0% 13,5% 5,6% 500 4,9% 2,0% 0 Ogólnopolskie Nati onal Regional Regionalne Nati onal Ogólnopolskie Regional Regionalne PressPrasa TelevisionTelewizja

Negatywne N e g a ti v e Neutralne Neutral Pozytywne Positi ve

185 Report 4.3. The image of the Presidency in the Polish media

Graph 10. Adverti sing Value Equivalent of releases by recepti on

50 000 000 z ł 41 749 808 zł 40 000 000 z 36 393 108 zł ł 30 000 000 z ł 20 000 000 z ł 10 000 000 z ł 0 z ł -10 000 000 z -3 336 333 zł ł NegatywneN e g a ti v e NeutralneNeutral PozytywnePositi ve

Graph 11. Releases by leading topic, communicati on channel and recepti on

HumanZasoby resources ludzkie BudPresidencyet prezydencji budget ż TourismTurystyka and i promotipromocja on regionów of regions IdentyfikacjaVisual identi wizualna/logo fi cati on / logo OrganizatiOrganizacja on iand logistyka logisti cs PromocjaPromoti i obecno on and media w mediach visibility ść PartnerstwoEastern WschodniePartnership Telewizja Telewizja Television ProgramCultural Programme kulturalny Ogólna ocenaOverall Polskiej evaluati Prezydencji on of the -Presidency pozycja MeetiSpotkania ngs and i konferencje conferences PresidencyProgram programme i cele and prezydencji objecti ves BudPresidencyet prezydencji budget ż HumanZasoby resources ludzkie IdentyfikacjaVisual identi wizualna/logo fi cati on / logo PartnerstwoEastern WschodniePartnership TourismTurystyka and i promotipromocja on regionów of regions OrganizatiOrganizacja on iand logistyka logisti cs Prasa Prasa Press PromocjaPromoti i obecno on and media w mediach visibility ść Ogólna ocenaOverall Polskiej evaluati Prezydencji on of the -Presidency pozycja MeetiSpotkania ngs and i konferencje conferences PresidencyProgram programme i cele and prezydencji objecti ves ProgramCultural programme kulturalny 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

NegatywneN e g a ti v e NeutralneNeutral PozytywnePositi ve

The value of all Presidency-related re- objecti ves, meeti ngs and conferences and the cultural leases in the Polish media totalled almost PLN programme (68% of the total coverage). The fi rst two 75m (the so-called Adverti sing Value Equivalent, AVE). topics were mainly visible on TV, whereas the press was This amount mainly covers TV broadcasts, although parti al to the cultural programme, mainly in the context it was the print media that most frequently provided of news about current cultural events. Presidency coverage. The cultural programme was the most positi vely pub- In terms of topic selecti on, there was a visible focus licised aspect of the Presidency. The biggest criti cism on three themes: the Presidency programme and focused on the overall assessment of the Presidency,

186 its impact and eff ecti veness. This topic ranked fourth in In additi on, the report presents statements made by terms of the number of press releases. 350 individuals in 5,705 publicati ons which usually ad- Cooperati on with the Presidency has signifi cantly dressed the Polish Presidency, whereas 49 of them were boosted the image of citi es which hosted key meeti ngs, most frequently quoted (usually 20 ti mes). The out- especially Sopot which enjoyed the second biggest media right leader in this category was PM Donald Tusk, fol- coverage aft er Warsaw. Altogether there were over 1,600 lowed by President Bronisław Komorowski, President mainly positi ve releases about Polish citi es during the pe- of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, riod under discussion. Most of them were published in President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek and early July when scheduled meeti ngs and events were Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Frequent posi- covered. In terms of potenti al audience exposure, the sta- ti ve feedback on the Polish Presidency was also provided ti sti cs are as follows: Warsaw over 100 million, Sopot and by foreign politi cians, including the leader of theEuropean Wrocław 62-64 million, Poznań and Cracow 22-24 million. Parliament’s Progressive Alliance of Socialists Speaking of the Polish Presidency events that gen- and Democrats facti on, Marti n Schulz, President erated the biggest number of releases, ranking fi rst of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, Hungarian was the inaugurati on of the Presidency (789 releases) PM Viktor Orbán and the leader of the European People’s with the speech of the Polish PM Donald Tusk in Party fracti on in the European Parliament Joseph Daul. the European Parliament (415) coming second. The end Key criti cs of the Polish Presidency included Polish MEPs - of the Presidency captured the least media att enti on Jacek Kurski, Tomasz Poręba and Zbigniew Ziobro. (309). Negati ve publicity accounted for only 3% of cov- The report presents an in-depth study of the mes- erage in this category, whereas 25% was positi ve cover- sage conveyed by Polish Television channels which were age. Another issue which captured major and long-term the Host Broadcaster of the Polish Presidency. TVP Info, media att enti on was the associati on agreement with TVP1 and TVP2 menti oned the Presidency 1,212 ti mes Ukraine, probably resulti ng from the fact that this event altogether, mainly in news headlines, as a part of cover- was scheduled for the fi nal leg of the Presidency. age of meeti ngs and conferences and rarely programming

Graph 12. MediaWizerunek image of medialny Poland’s wybranychbiggest citi głównyches in the contextmiast Polski of the w kontekściePresidency polskiej prezydencji w Radzie UE

3 WrocławReach 2,5 Poznań 2 WarszawaWarsaw Sopot 1,5 KrakówCracow 1

Przychylność 0,5

Positi ve recepti on recepti ve Positi 0

-0,5 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Reach MillionMiliony Zasięg Graph 13. Number of releases focused on key events of the Presidency

1000 800 600 4001000 200800 0600 400 Number of releases 200 Liczba publikacji Liczba publikacji 0 Umowa GymnichGymnich Szczyt PW Europejski Inauguracja Wyst pienie Zako czeniein the EP Wizyta KE w ą ń Podpisanie TA Liczba publikacji Liczba publikacji with Ukraine Umowa EC’s visit to Poland Gymnich Szczyt PW Europejski InauguracjaEnd of the PresidencyWyst pienie Zako czenieNegatywne Neutralne TreatyPozytywne withAssociati Croati a on Agreement Wizyta KE w ą ń Podpisanie TA European Culture SignatureCongress of the Accession Speech of the PrimeEastern Minister Partn ership Summit Inaugurati on of the Presidency NegatywneN e g a ti v e NeutralneNeutral PozytywnePositi ve

187 Report 4.3. The image of the Presidency in the Polish media

Graph 14. Most acti ve weekly opinion magazines – the number of releases by recepti on

NegatywneN e g a ti v e NeutralneNeutral PozytywnePositi ve

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

POLITYKA

ANGORA

NEWSWEEK

UWA AM RZE INACZEJ PISANE Ż

NIEDZIELA issues. Ranking third in terms of the coverage was areas which would enable Poland to make an actual diff er- the cultural programme of the Presidency. Three most ence by setti ng guidelines or playing the role of an impar- frequently publicised events correspond to the rank- ti al arbiter despite the constraints of the Treaty of Lisbon. ing of coverage in the Polish media (inaugurati on, PM’s It was also stressed that the Presidency may produce speech at EP, the end of the presidency). The most acti ve major benefi ts and open signifi cant prospects for our medium was TVP Info, with Polsat News and TVN24 com- country. On the other hand, ti tles criti cal to the governing second and third. Those three channels accounted for ment wrote that initi ati ves of the Presidency failed to almost 30% of total TV coverage. make a diff erence in EU operati ons and mainly served Out of 20 most acti ve media, the biggest number as vehicles of the success propaganda during the electi on of unfavourable features was published by ‘Gazeta Polska’ campaign. (over 50% of criti cal publicity). The most positi ve image During the next months, even imparti al media be- of the Presidency was promoted by TVP2 (44 % of total came more conservati ve in their assessment of the role coverage). of the Presidency, what they somewhat justi fi ed with Publicati ons evaluati ng the Polish Presidency were the challenging context of its term. Nevertheless, it was mainly preoccupied with the signifi cance and the ac- also stressed that considering limited decision-making ca- tual impact of the Polish EU leadership on the EU policy. pability and current developments, the Polish Presidency Initi ally, mainstream media made an att empt to identi fy may be deemed to be successful.

Graph 15. Image of the Presidency in the media over subsequent months Wizerunek medialny prezydencji Polski w Radzie UE na przestrzeni miesięcy

2,5 listopadNovember 11 2011

październikOctober 2011 11 grudzieńDecember 2011 11 1,5

Favorability lipiecJuly 2011 11 1 wrzesieńSeptember 112011

Positi ve recepti on recepti ve Positi sierpieńAugust 2011 11 0,5

0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 MillionMillions Reach Range

188

Lists of tables, graphs, annexes

List of tables

Table 1. Documents Concerning Preparations for Presidency...... 18 Table 2. Ministerial/Agency Teams Appointed to the Purpose of Preparations for the Presidency ...... 22 Table 3. Reports ...... 25 Table 4. Meetings of the Plenipotentiary’s Review and Counselling Teams ...... 30 Table 5. Dates of visits of political groups and the Conference of Presidents of the EP to Poland ...... 45 Table 6. CoR and EESC away sessions, conferences and promotion events ...... 49 Table 7. Central training for the Presidency Corps ...... 62 Table 8. Subject range of the seminars and workshops organised ...... 64 Table 9. The list of missions with staff reinforcements ...... 66 Table 10. Timetable of using conference venues ...... 67 Table 11. Events organised by the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the EU as part of public diplomacy ...... 78 Table 12. Statistics of the www.prezydencjaue.gov.pl website ...... 91 Table 13. Statistics for the website www.pl2011.eu ...... 92 Table 14. Sources of visits of the www.pl2011.eu website ...... 92 Table 15. The most popular materials on the Videoblog of the Presidency ...... 93 Table 16. Statistics of the website www.culture.pl ...... 93 Table 17. Countries with the largest numbers of fans of the Polish Presidency profile ...... 94 Table 18. Age of fans of the Polish Presidency ...... 94 Table 19. Excerpt from the monthly communication gap analysis ...... 109 Table 20. The number of logins into the fiche system ...... 120

193 Report

List of graphs

Graph 1. Meetings in central conference venues ...... 68 Graph 2. Number of Presidency profile fans at facebook.com ...... 93 Graph 3. Number of fans of the Presidency’s profile on nk.pl ...... 94 Graph 4. Number of events covered by the patronage of the Polish Presidency ...... 97 Graph 5. Evaluation of the Presidency – survey results ...... 181 Graph 6. Evaluation of the Presidency - survey results ...... 181 Graph 7. Number of releases in the European media ...... 183 Graph 8. Number of releases by size and reception ...... 185 Graph 9. Number of releases by channel, range and reception ...... 185 Graph 10. Advertising Value Equivalent of releases by reception ...... 186 Graph 11. Releases by leading topic, communication channel and reception ...... 186 Graph 12. The media image of Poland’s biggest cities in the context of the Presidency ...... 187 Graph 13. Number of releases focused on key events of the Presidency ...... 187 Graph 14. Most active weekly opinion magazines – the number of releases by reception ...... 188 Graph 15. Image of the Presidency in the media over subsequent months ...... 188

195 Report

List of Annexes

Annex No. 1. List of meetings organised in central conference venues of the Polish Presidency

Annex No. 2. List of interpretation regimes

Annex No. 3. Selected events and meetings conducted in connection with the Polish Presidency of the EU Council

Annex No. 4. Documents on the preparation and execution by Poland of the Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, processed as part of the European Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for European Affairs

Annex No. 5. Schedule of speeches given by the Polish Presidency ministers in the EP committees at the beginning and at the end of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Annex No. 6. Addresses by the Prime Minister and ministers of the Polish Presidency delivered on behalf of the Council at plenary sessions of the EP in Strasbourg and Brussels during the 2nd half of 2011

Annex No. 7 Calendar of meetings of the European Council, the Council of the European Union and other selected ministerial meetings during the Polish Presidency in 2011

Annex No. 8. Public Opinion Poll Description

197 Report

Annexes

Annex No. 1

List of meetings organised in central conference venues of the Polish Presidency Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Affairs Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Education Education and Higher and Higher of Economy of Environment of and Social Policy of Agriculture and Agriculture of of Agriculture and Agriculture of Ministry of Health of Ministry Ministry of Justice of Ministry Ministry of Labour of Ministry Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Ministry of Interior Interior of Ministry Ministry of Science of Ministry Ministry of Science of Ministry Rural Development Rural Rural Development Rural Accountable entityAccountable Formula and Administration/ Area Event Policy of Health of of Environment of for Development for Higher Education/ Agricultural Policy’ Agricultural element of Common of element the informal meeting meeting informal the Directors for Fisheries for Directors Conference preceding preceding Conference of the Competitiveness Competitiveness the of and Home Affairs (JHA) and Home Affairs Meeting of the General General the of Meeting of the EU Member States the of the Ministry of Economy/ of Ministry the Informal Competitiveness Competitiveness Informal Informal Competitiveness Competitiveness Informal for Employment and Social Employment for Informal Council for Justice Justice Council for Informal agriculture as an important an important as agriculture Council (COMPET)/ brought brought Council (COMPET)/ ‘Energy use of biomass from biomass from use of ‘Energy Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal by the Ministry of Science and of Ministry the by Council on European Research Research Council on European Council (COMPET) /brought by by /brought Council (COMPET) Security IV CATEGORY HLV Sopot MIMSopot III CATEGORY Sopot MIM III CATEGORY Sopot CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Sopot MIM II CATEGORY Sopot CFR / MIM IV CATEGORY Sopot MIM III CATEGORY Sopot MIM III CATEGORY Sopot MIM III CATEGORY Sopot MIM III CATEGORY 6.07 - arrival 6.07 - arrival 4.07 - arrival 4.07 - arrival 21.07 - arrival 21.07 - arrival 25.07 - arrival 19.07 - arrival 19.07 - arrival 17.07 - arrival 17.07 - arrival 18.07 - arrival 15.07 - arrival 15.07 - arrival 10.07 - arrival 10.07 - arrival 14.07 - arrival 14.07 - arrival Administration: Administration: 9.07 - departure 6.07 - departure 22.07 - departure 22.07 - departure 26.07 - departure 21.07 - departure 21.07 - departure 19.07 - departure 12.07 - departure 15.07 - departure 18.07 – departure 18.07 – departure Ministry of Justice: Justice: of Ministry Arrival / DepartureArrival LocationCategory 16/17.07 - departure 19 and 20.07 - arrival 19 and 20.07 - arrival Ministry of Interior and Interior of Ministry Date 7-8.07 5-6.07 25-26.07 21-22.07 18-19.07 11-12.07 9 8 20-21.07 7 20.07 6 5 16.07 3 4 15.07 2 1 10 No

201 Report Annex No. 1 Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Affairs Affairs Defence Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Minister Heritage Heritage of Poland of of Economy Chancellery of the Prime and National and National and National and National National Bank National of Infrastructure of and Social Policy and Social Policy of Agriculture and Agriculture of of Agriculture and Agriculture of Ministry of Labour of Ministry Ministry of Labour of Ministry Ministry of Culture Culture of Ministry Ministry of Culture Culture of Ministry Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Rural Development Rural Rural Development Rural Accountable entityAccountable Formula Ministry of National National of Ministry Ministry of Finance/ of Ministry Event Affairs (ECOFIN) Committee (TTE-Energy) for Transport for European Affairs European Informal Transport, Transport, Informal Ministers of Defence of Ministers Special Committee on Special Committee Informal Economic and Economic Informal Informal Meeting of EU of Meeting Informal Energy Council - Energy Council - Energy Energy Financial Affairs Council Financial Affairs ‘Innovative responses to responses ‘Innovative Informal Agriculture and Agriculture Informal and State Secretaries for for Secretaries and State Telecommunications and Telecommunications for Culture and Audiovisual and Audiovisual Culture for of Foreign Affairs (Gymnich) Affairs Foreign of Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) Meeting of Social Protection Social Protection of Meeting the social impact of the crisis’ the social impact of the Informal meeting of Ministers Ministers of meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Agriculture away session(SCA) away Agriculture Security Sopot MIM III CATEGORY Sopot MIM II CATEGORY Sopot MIM II CATEGORY Warsaw HSGCATEGORY I Summit Partnership Eastern Wrocław MIM III CATEGORY Wrocław MIM III CATEGORY Wrocław MIM III CATEGORY Wrocław CMT IV CATEGORY Wrocław MIM III CATEGORY Wrocław MIMWrocław CFR / MIM II CATEGORY Wrocław IV CATEGORY CMT IV CATEGORY Wrocław CFR / MIM IV CATEGORY Congress Culture European 8.09 - arrival 8.09 - arrival 5.09 - arrival 5.09 - arrival 8.09 - arrival 8.09 - arrival 1.09 - arrival 1.09 - arrival 11.09 - arrival 11.09 - arrival 15.09 - arrival 15.09 - arrival 25.09 - arrival 25.09 - arrival 11.09 - arrival 11.09 - arrival 19.09 - arrival 19.09 - arrival 22.09 - arrival 22.09 - arrival 25.09 - arrival 29.09 - arrival 28.07 - arrival 28.07 - arrival 8.09 - departure 6.09 - departure 3.09 - departure 10.09 - departure 13.09 - departure 17.09 - departure 13.09 - departure 20.09 - departure 23.09 - departure 28.09 - departure 30.09 - departure 11.09 - departure 29.07 - departure Arrival / DepartureArrival LocationCategory Date 27.09 26.09 5-6.09 2-3.09 12-13.09 19-20.09 22-23.09 29-30.09 28-29.07 15 9.09 16 18 16-17.09 22 17 12-13.09 19 20 21 23 13 12 14 8-11.09 11 No

202 Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics Venue only Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Office Affairs Affairs Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry of Economy and Tourism and Tourism and Tourism of Economy/ of and Social Policy and Social Policy and Social Policy Ministry of Sport of Ministry Ministry of Sport of Ministry Ministry of Sport of Ministry Central Statistical Statistical Central Regulatory Office/ Regulatory Ministry of Labour of Ministry Ministry of Labour of Ministry Ministry of Labour of Ministry of Treasury/Energy Treasury/Energy of Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Foreign of Ministry Accountable entityAccountable Formula - - Event Market’ Tourism of Sport Exclusion of energy security’energy of tions and strategy’ tions and Annual Convention Annual Convention Participate in the Labor the in Participate Informal Meeting of EU of Meeting Informal Professional and Family and Family Professional Statistical System within System Statistical Ministers responsible for for responsible Ministers Roles for Women and for and for Women for Roles of the European Platform Platform European the of - inte and on ‘Competitive against Poverty and Social Poverty against ‘Development of European European of ‘Development Eastern Partnership – direc Partnership Eastern Men as a Chance to Actively Actively Chance to a Men as ‘Mechanisms for Reconciling Reconciling ‘Mechanisms for ble for strategy and planning strategy ble for grated market as a guarantee guarantee a as market grated Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal Ministerial Energy Conference Conference Energy Ministerial Meeting of Directors responsi Directors of Meeting for Family and Equality Gender Family for Security Cracow MIMCracow III CATEGORY CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Cracow CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Cracow MIM III CATEGORY Cracow MIM III CATEGORY Cracow CFR IV CATEGORY Cracow CFR IV CATEGORY Cracow CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Cracow CFR / MIM IV CATEGORY 2011 Forum Tourism European Cracow CFR / MIM III CATEGORY (SIMFO) Forum Single Market 5.10 - arrival 5.10 - arrival 5.10 - arrival 5.10 - arrival 3.10 - arrival 3.10 - arrival 13.10 - arrival 13.10 - arrival 16.10 - arrival 18.10 - arrival 20.10 - arrival 20.10 - arrival 11.10 - arrival 11.10 - arrival 19.10 - arrival 9/10.10 - arrival 9/10.10 - arrival 6.10 - departure 7.10 - departure 5.10 - departure 14.10 - departure 18.10 - departure 20.10 - departure 21.10 - departure 13.10 - departure 21.10 - departure Arrival / DepartureArrival LocationCategory 11/12.10 - departure 6.10 Date 21.10 20.10 13-14.10 17-18.10 18-19.10 29 30 31 26 33 27 10-11.10 28 12.10 32 25 5-7.10 24 3-4.10 No

203 Report Annex No. 1 Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central Central logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics logistics Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Ministry Ministry Ministry Ministry Minister Chancellery of the Prime Development of Infrastructure of of Agriculture and Agriculture of Ministry of Health of Ministry Ministry of Health of Ministry only Venue Ministry of Interior Interior of Ministry Ministry of Interior Interior of Ministry Interior of Ministry and Administration and Administration and Administration Rural Development Rural Accountable entityAccountable Formula Ministry of Regional Regional of Ministry Event Meeting Europeans’ Partnership Inclusive Europe Inclusive – Building Migration – Building Migration Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting of the Prague Process Process Prague the of Partnerships in action Partnerships Smart, Sustainable and Smart, Sustainable Integrated Approach to to Approach Integrated of Transport on Eastern on Eastern Transport of the Eastern Partnership Partnership Eastern the European Union States’ European Development – a Key to to Key – a Development of the States involved in involved States the of Meeting of EU Ministers EU Ministers of Meeting the health gaps between between health gaps the 6th European Ministerial Ministerial 6th European ‘Adjusting the regulations regulations the ‘Adjusting eGovernment Conference Conference eGovernment eGovernment Services for Services for eGovernment as food safety and quality’ safety food as and Exhibition: ‘Borderless and Exhibition: ‘Borderless 2nd Ministerial Conference Conference 2nd Ministerial the scope of veterinary and veterinary of scope the National Drug Coordinators Drug Coordinators National phytosanitary issues as well well issues as phytosanitary ‘Solidarity in health. Closing responsible for eGovernment for responsible Initiative to the EU law within EU the to Initiative Security IV CATEGORY HLV Poznań CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Poznań CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Poznań CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Summit Equality 5th European Poznań CFR / MIM II CATEGORY Poznań CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Poznań CFR / MIMPoznań II CATEGORY Cracow CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Cracow CFR / MIM III CATEGORY 6.11 - arrival 6.11 - arrival 26.10 - arrival 26.10 - arrival 24.10 - arrival 24.10 - arrival 13.11 - arrival 13.11 - arrival 16.11 - arrival 22.11 - arrival 16.11 - arrival 16.11 - arrival 21.11 - arrival 8.11 - departure 28.10 - departure 25.10 - departure 16.11 - departure 18.11 - departure 24.11 - departure 18.11 - departure 22.11 - departure Arrival / DepartureArrival LocationCategory 2,3 and 4.11 - arrival 2,3 and 4.11 - arrival 4 and 5.11 - departure Date 3-4.11 17-18.11 35 26-28.10 34 24-25.10 36 37 7-8.11 38 14-15.11 39 42 23.11 40 17.11 41 21-22.11 No

204 Central Central Central Central Central Central Central logistics logistics logistics logistics Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Venue only Venue Office Affairs Affairs Affairs Minister Protection Chancellery of the Prime Development and Consumer of Competition Competition of Ministry of Justice of Ministry Venue only Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Ministry of Foreign Foreign of Ministry Ministry of Interior Interior of Ministry and Administration Accountable entityAccountable Formula Ministry of Regional Regional of Ministry Event Meeting Development Environment’ Society Forum Society Consumer Day ‘EU and Southern Territorial and Urban Territorial Neighbourhood. New Neighbourhood. New Policy (Regional Policy), Policy), (Regional Policy operation in a Changing a in operation Administration (EUPAN) Administration Eastern Partnership Civil Partnership Eastern Prospects for Mutual Co- for Prospects 57th Meeting of Directors Directors of 57th Meeting European Competition and Competition European ings in the European Union European ings in the responsible for EU Cohesion for responsible - aid in criminal proceed Legal Informal Meeting of Ministers Ministers of Meeting Informal FRONTEX Management Board Board Management FRONTEX General responsible for Public for responsible General Security IV CATEGORY IV CATEGORY HLV HLV Poznań Poznań MIMPoznań III CATEGORY CFR IV CATEGORY Poznań CFR / MIM III CATEGORY Warsaw CFR / MIM II CATEGORY Days Development European Warsaw MIM II CATEGORY Warsaw Warsaw CFR / MIM IV CATEGORY 1.12 - arrival 1.12 - arrival 4.12 - arrival 4.12 - arrival 14.12 - arrival 14.12 - arrival 29.11 - arrival 29.11 - arrival 11.12 - arrival 11.12 - arrival 23.11 - arrival 23.11 - arrival 27.11 - arrival 23.11 - arrival 23.11 - arrival 2.12 - departure 6.12 - departure 1.12 - departure 16.12 - departure 13.12 - departure 25.11 - departure 29.11 - departure 25.11 - departure Arrival / DepartureArrival LocationCategory Date 47 1-2.12 48 5-6.12 50 15-16.12 46 30.11 49 12-13.12 44 25.11 45 28-29.11 43 24-25.11 No

205 Report

Annex No. 2

List of interpretation regimes

Meeting Interpretation regimes Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of health ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous translation from six languages into Informal meeting of employment and social policy six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT and simultaneous ministers interpretation of parallel workshops Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of environment ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of development ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous interpretation from 22 official EU languages Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) into six languages FR-DE-EN-IT-ES-NL-PT-EL-DA-FI-SV-CS-ET- LV-LT-HU-MT-PL-SK-SL-BG-RO into PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Conference preceding informal Competitiveness Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Council six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal Competitiveness Council (COMPET) six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Informal meeting of European affairs ministers and Simultaneous interpretation from five languages into secretaries of state five languages EN-FR-DE-ES-IT GYMNICH-formula meeting of ministers of foreign Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into affairs two languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT into EN-FR Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of transport ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Informal meeting of ministers of culture and Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into audiovisual affairs six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous interpretation from 22 official EU languages Informal Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) into six languages FR-DE-EN-IT-ES-NL-PT-EL-DA-FI-SV-CS-ET- LV-LT-HU-MT-PL-SK-SL-BG-RO into PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Informal Economic and Financial Affairs Council Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into six (ECOFIN) languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Eurogroup meeting accompanying Informal Economic Simultaneous interpretation from five languages into and Financial Affairs Council five languages EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Informal Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Council - Energy (TTE - Energy) six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of EU defence ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT During plenary sessions - simultaneous interpretation from 22 official EU languages, languages of the Eastern Eastern Partnership Summit Partnership states and Russian into 13 languages (6 EU languages, 6 Eastern Partnership languages and Russian) Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of EU tourism ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Ministerial conference on energy policy: ‘Competitive Simultaneous interpretation from four languages into and integrated market as a guarantee of energy four languages PL-EN-DE-FR security’ (including several parallel panels) Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Informal meeting of sport ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT

207 Report Annex No. 2

Meeting Interpretation regimes ‘Development of the European Statistical System in Simultaneous interpretation from three languages into the light of the Eastern Partnership - directions and three languages PL-EN-RU strategy’ Informal meeting of family affairs and gender equality Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT Meeting of transport ministers devoted to the Eastern Simultaneous interpretation from three languages into Partnership three languages PL-EN-RU ‘Approximation of law of Eastern Partnership Simultaneous interpretation from three languages into countries and the EU law in the area of veterinary and three languages PL-EN-RU phytosanitary issues, food safety and quality’ (including several parallel panels) ‘Solidarity in health. Reducing health inequalities in the PL-EN simultaneous interpretation European Union’ (including several parallel panels) Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into 5th European Equality Summit six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT (including several parallel panels) 6th European Ministerial Conference and Exhibition on PL-EN simultaneous interpretation E-Administration: ‘Borderless eGovernment Services (including several parallel panels) for Europeans’ Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into Meeting of e-administration ministers six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT European Competition and Consumer Day PL-EN simultaneous interpretation Informal meeting of EU cohesion policy (regional Simultaneous interpretation from six languages into policy), territorial development and urban six languages PL-EN-FR-DE-ES-IT development ministers ‘ European Union and Southern Neighbourhood : Simultaneous interpretation from four languages into new prospects for mutual cooperation in a changing four languages PL-EN-FR-AR environment’ (including several parallel panels) Simultaneous interpretation in PL-EN-FR regime with European Development Days passive Spanish, Russian and German (including three parallel panels)

208 Annex No. 3

Selected events and meetings conducted in connection with the Polish Presidency of the EU Council

Meeting Date Mission Ministry 7th Ministerial Conference of the ‘Environment for Europe’ Embassy of the RP 20-23.09.2011 MEn process in Astana Embassy of the RP Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) 13-18.11.2011 MH in Belgrade Berlin Security Conference / European Congress on Security Embassy of the RP 8-9.11.2011 MFA and Defence in Berlin 10th Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention 17-21.10.2011 Embassy of the RP Sessions and intercessions of the United Nations Framework MEn 1-7.10.2011 in Bogota Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference on the Multiannual Financial Framework ‘The Embassy of the RP new multiannual EU budget: fostering growth and reducing 21.09.2011 MFA in Bucharest disparities between regions’ WTO Ministerial Conference 14.12.2011 MEc 61st Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee 14-19.08.2011 29th session of the Executive Body of the Convention on PR of the RP to 12-16.12.2011 Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (EB CLRTAP) the UN Office in MEn Meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to Geneva 28.11.2011 the PRTR Protocol Working Group on Strategies and Reviews 11-16.09.2011 Embassy of the RP ‘Polish Day’ at Europol 2.12.2011 MIA in The Hague Meeting of Liaison Officers in Ukraine 12.07.2011 Headquarters of the Border Guard MIA Meeting of Liaison Officers in Ukraine Embassy of the RP 14.09.2011 Police Headquarters in Kiev High-level seminar on the Common Security and Defence 3-4.11.2011 MFA Policy of the EU Embassy of the RP Europe-Moldova Forum 29-31.03.2011 MFA Chisinau Conference on ‘Sources of growth in Poland , Denmark and 26-27.05.2011 Embassy of the RP Europe up to 2020’ MFA in Copenhagen Economic seminar on ‘New market opportunities in Poland’ 14.12.2011 International scientific conference ‘From the Carnation 25.11.2011; Embassy of the RP MFA Revolution to Solidarity’ - debate 6-7.12.2011 in Lisbon Embassy of the RP Conference on energy security 14.06.2011 MFA in London Conference titled ‘Europe/America - country/state - region/ CG of the RP county in crisis: consequences - conditions - remedial 3.11.2011 MFA in Los Angeles measures - recommendations’ Seminar on the experiences of the countries of Central- Embassy of the RP 12.07.2011 MFA Eastern Europe in the EU in Mexico

209 Report Annex No. 3

Meeting Date Mission Ministry 7th meeting of the Working Group on Article 8 (j) of the 30.10-5.11.2011 Convention on Biological Diversity 15th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, technical and Technological Advice on the Convention on Biological 7-11.11.2011 CG of the RP MEn Diversity in Montreal 31st meeting of the Open-ended Working Group of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete 1-5.08.2011 the Ozone Layer Meeting of Liaison Officers in Moscow 26.10.2011 Headquarters of the Border Guard MIA Meeting of Liaison Officers in Moscow 12.10.2011 Embassy of the RP Police Headquarters in Moscow Conference titled ‘European experiences in economic 20-23.09.2011; transformations at the turn of the 20th century and the MFA 14-18.11.2011 modernization of Russia’ 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee Embassy of the RP 31.10.-4.11.2011 MEn (INC-3) concerning the convention on mercury in Nairobi Seminar on the future of the energy market as part of the Embassy of the RP EEA, in the light of implementation of the 3rd liberalization 30.11.2011 MFA in Oslo package CG of the RP Poland-Czech Republic Economic Forum 17.06.2011 MFA in Ostrava 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention 28.11.-9.12.2011 MEn on Climate Change Embassy of the RP in Pretoria Seminar on climate change 10.10.2011 MFA Embassy of the RP Seminar on economic cooperation in the Baltic Sea region 3.11.2011 MFA in Riga ‘Bosnia at the crossroads – main challenges for its European Embassy of the RP 24-25.10.2011 MFA aspirations’ in Sarajevo 10th Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD Convention Embassy of the RP 6-23.10.2011 MEn (on desertification) in Seoul Embassy of the RP EU-Western Balkans ministerial forum 3-4.10.2011 MIA / MJ in Skopje Conference on enlargement: ‘The European perspective of Embassy of the RP 14.12.2011 MFA the Western Balkans’ in Sofia Meeting of experts on the Eastern Partnership as part of the Embassy of the RP 27-28.07.2011 MF EU Eastern Partnership programme in Tbilisi Three-day workshop on Poland's transformation experiences 4-6.10.2011 in building of democratic institutions Embassy of the RP Conference on justice in periods of transformation 9-10.12.2011 MFA in Tunis Maghreb and Mashrek Working Group (MaMa) and meeting 13.12.2011 with the CMD in Tunis

210 Annex No. 4

Documents on the preparation and execution by Poland of the Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, processed as part of the European Committee of the Council of Ministers and the Committee for European Affairs

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document European Committee of the Council of Ministers Guidelines for the preparation of the Polish administration for the 1. 31.07.2007 execution by Poland of the Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd OCEI/MFA half of 2011 Report on the state of preparations of the public administration for OCEI - Government 2. 15.07.2008 the assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Plenipotentiary * Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the OCEI - Government 3. 19.09.2008 Council of the European Union - current information Plenipotentiary * Information on structural traineeships at the European Commission 4. 16.10.2008 for public administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st OCEI half of 2009 ** Programme of Preparations of the Republic of Poland for the OCEI - Government 5. 28.10.2008 Assumption and Execution of the Presidency of the Council of the Plenipotentiary * European Union Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for the programme of structural traineeships at the European Commission 6. 04.11.2008 OCEI for public administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st half of 2009 Information on the operation of the preparatory bodies of the OCEI - Government 7. 28.11.2008 Council of the European Union – elaboration of the model of the Plenipotentiary * Polish Presidency in 2011 Information on the implementation of the System of Electronic Exchange of Documents - Poland in the period from July 2006 to 8. 10.12.2008 October 2008 with a proposal of further actions in the context of OCEI Poland's preparations for the assumption and execution of the Presidency of the EU Council Information on traineeships at the General Secretariat of the Council 9. 02.02.2009 OCEI of the European Union for Polish public administration staff in 2009 Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the OCEI - Government 10. 02.02.2009 Council of the European Union - current information Plenipotentiary * Information on the circulation of documents in the European Union OCEI - Government 11. 02.02.2009 in the context of preparations for the assumption by Poland of the Plenipotentiary * Presidency of the EU Council Guidelines for ministries and central offices concerning the calculation of expenses connected with the organisation of and OCEI - Government 12. 02.03.2009. support for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of Plenipotentiary * 2011 Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for 13. 24.02.2009 traineeships at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European OCEI Union for Polish public administration staff in 2009

211 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Information on study visits and traineeships for members of the corps OCEI - Government 14. 10.03.2009 of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Information on structural traineeships at the European Commission 15. 24.04.2009 for public administration workers from EU Member States in the 2nd OCEI half of 2009 Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the OCEI - Government 16. 12.05.2009 Council of the European Union - current information Plenipotentiary * Information on the mode of defining staff quotas for institutions participating in preparations for the Presidency of the EU Council, to OCEI - Government 17. 12.05.2009 be used when applying for inclusion in the presidency corps, covered Plenipotentiary * by central training Information concerning the division of funds from state budget earmarked reserve part 83, item 9 ‘Costs connected with the preparation of the administration for the assumption by Poland of OCEI - Government 18. 12.05.2009 the EU Presidency and with representation before the ECJ’ - to be Plenipotentiary * used for traineeships and study visits in 2009 as part of preparations for Poland's Presidency of the EU Council Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for the programme of structural traineeships at the European Commission 19. 19.05.2009 OCEI for public administration workers from EU Member States in the 2nd half of 2009 Multiannual Programme: preparation, support for and execution of OCEI - Government 20. 09.06.2009 the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the 2nd Plenipotentiary * half of 2012 Good practices catalogue: guidelines concerning partnership 21. 21.07.2009 agreements for the needs of the Polish Presidency Priorities and programming of the Polish Presidency of the European OCEI - Government 22. 21.07.2009 Union in 2011 (operational aspects) Plenipotentiary * Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the OCEI - Government 23. 30.07.2009 Council of the European Union - current information Plenipotentiary * Strategic tenets of the cultural programme of the Polish Presidency in 24. 28.08.2009 MCNH the 2nd half of 2011 Schedule of formal and informal meetings during the Polish Presidency of the EU Council OCEI - Government 25. 08.09.2009 (Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council - works on Plenipotentiary * the calendar of Presidency meetings) Information concerning the additional division of funds from state budget earmarked reserve part 83, item 9 ‘Costs connected with the OCEI - Government 26. 08.09.2009 preparation of the administration for the assumption by Poland of Plenipotentiary * the EU Presidency and with representation before the ECJ’ - to be used for traineeships and study visits Priorities and programming of the Polish Presidency of the European OCEI - Government 27. 22.09.2009 Union in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Criteria for the elaboration of sector priorities of the Polish OCEI - Government 28. 22.09.2009 Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary *

212 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Calendar of meetings of the Prime Minister in the period preceding OCEI - Government 29. 22.09.2009 the assumption by Poland of the Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * European Policy of Security and Defence as a proposed priority 30. 22.09.2009 MFA during the Polish Presidency of the EU Information concerning the selection of ten capitals for the OCEI - Government 31. 13.10.2009 implementation of the cultural programme accompanying the Polish Plenipotentiary * Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 Priorities and programming of the Polish Presidency of the European OCEI - Government 32. 16.10.2009 Union in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Information on the implementation of the Eastern Partnership in the 33. 20.10.2009 MFA context of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Information on traineeships at the European Commission for public 34. 20.10.2009 administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st half of OCEI 2010 Draft calendar of ministerial and high-level meetings during the Polish Presidency OCEI - Government 35. 27.10.2009 (Preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council - works on Plenipotentiary * the calendar of Presidency meetings, part 2) Draft amendment of the Multiannual Program: preparation, support OCEI - Government 36. 30.10.2009 for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the Plenipotentiary * European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for the programme of traineeships at the European Commission for public 37. 06.11.2009 OCEI administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st half of 2010 ** Information on the review of key cyclical artistic events held in Poland 38. 16.11.2009 and abroad with the view to their inclusion in the cultural programme MCNH of the Polish Presidency in the 2nd half of 2011 *** Verification of the state of preparations of the public administration OCEI - Government 39. 24.11.2009 for assumption of the Presidency of the European Union Council in Plenipotentiary * the 2nd half of 2011 Information on the written procedure of adoption of European 40. 30.11.2009 Council decisions regarding the exercise of the Presidency of the MFA Council (in accordance with Declaration 9 to the Treaty of Lisbon) ** Information on the inventory of policy issues scheduled in the 2nd OCEI - Government 41. 01.12.2009 half of 2011 - catalogue of issues that will appear on the agenda of Plenipotentiary * the Polish Presidency, as of November 2009 Executive document to the Multiannual Program: preparation, OCEI - Government 42. 22.12.2009 support for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of Plenipotentiary * the European Union in the 2nd half of 2012 Organisation of interpreting services for meetings scheduled during OCEI - Government 43. 22.12.2009 the Polish Presidency Plenipotentiary *

213 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Committee for European Affairs Information on traineeships at the General Secretariat of the Council 44. 18.01.2010 of the European Union for Polish public administration staff in 2010 MFA ** Report of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on works in 45. 29.01.2010 2009 on the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU MCNH Council in 2011 State of works on the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of 46. 09.02.2010 MCNH the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, in Poland and Brussels Calendar of meetings planned during the Polish Presidency of the EU MFA- Government 47. 12.02.2010 Council in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Conception of the cultural information service of the Polish 48. 12.02.2010 MCNH Presidency of the EU Council State of works on the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of 49. 12.02.2010 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 - in European capitals (except MCNH Brussels) and non-European capitals Schedule of the presentation of sector priorities at the Committee on MFA- Government 50. 17.02.2010 European Affairs - 1st quarter of 2010 *** Plenipotentiary * Report on the state of preparations for the Polish Presidency in 2011 MFA- Government 51. 23.02.2010 - map of risks and proposals of remedial measures Plenipotentiary * Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for 52. 23.02.2010 traineeships at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European OCEI Union for Polish public administration staff in 2010 Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency - Economic and Financial 53. 02.03.2010 MF Affairs Recommendations for ministers on cooperation with the European MFA- Government 54. 05.03.2010 Parliament in the period of preparations for and exercise of the Polish Plenipotentiary * Presidency of the Council Principles of financing and organisation of meetings held in Poland MFA- Government 55. 09.03.2010 during the Polish Presidency Plenipotentiary * Information on Sweden's experience concerning programme MFA- Government 56. 10.03.2010 preparations and management of the presidency process *** Plenipotentiary * Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency Agriculture and Fisheries 57. 12.03.2010 MARD Council Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels and other MFA- Government 58. 19.03.2010 diplomatic missions - staffing reinforcement for the period of the Plenipotentiary * Presidency Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Transport, 59. 19.03.2010 Telecommunications and Energy Council (within the competence of MIA the Ministry of the Interior and Administration Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Justice and Home Affairs 60. 19.03.2010 MIA/MJ Council Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Employment, Social Policy, MLSP/MH/MRD/ 61. 26.03.2010 Health and Consumer Affairs Council OCCP

214 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document MFA- Government 62. 09.04.2010 List of meetings requiring the use of Presidency facilities Plenipotentiary * 2nd amendment to the Multiannual Programme: preparation, MFA- Government 63. 09.04.2010 support for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of Plenipotentiary * the European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Transport, 64. 13.04.2010 MEc Telecommunications and Energy Council (in the area of energy) Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Education, Youth and MNE/MCNH/MSHE/ 65. 20.04.2010 Culture Council MST 66. 20.04.2010 Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Competitiveness Council MEc/MSHE 67. 23.04.2010 Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: General Affairs Council MFA Information on the state of implementation of the cultural 68. 27.04.2010 MCNH programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 List of meetings organised in Poland during the Polish Presidency, MFA- Government 69. 11.05.2010 envisaged for financial support out of the central part of the Plenipotentiary * Multiannual Programme (as part of the 30 million reserve) Information on cooperation with EU advisory bodies in the context of MFA- Government 70. 11.05.2010 preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Information on traineeships at the European Commission for public 71. 11.05.2010 administration workers from EU Member States in the 2nd half of MFA 2010 Intellectual capital for sustainable growth. Intellectual capital as 72. 13.05.2010 Poland's long-term priority from the perspective of EU membership MSHE and Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 Sector priorities of the Polish Presidency: Competitiveness Council (in 73. 13.05.2010 MEc the area of industry and internal market) Update of the executive document to the Multiannual Programme: MFA- Government 74. 25.05.2010 preparation, support for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Plenipotentiary * Council of the European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Information concerning the document List of meetings organised in Poland during the Polish Presidency, envisaged for financial support MFA- Government 75. 28.05.2010 out of the central part of the Multiannual Programme (as part of the Plenipotentiary * 30 million reserve) Informing of the Polish society about the Polish Presidency of the EU MFA- Government 76. 28.05.2010 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 Plenipotentiary * Strategic priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council as part 77. 28.05.2010 MFA of the Foreign Affairs Council Strategic priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council as part of the Foreign Affairs Council. Preliminary list of Polish-sponsored or 78. 28.05.2010 MFA potential actions, projects and programs for implementation as part of the Eastern Partnership Staffing reinforcement for the period of the Presidency. Permanent MFA- Government 79. 02.06.2010 Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels and other diplomatic Plenipotentiary * missions. Part 2

215 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for the programme of traineeships at the European Commission for public 80. 02.06.2010 MFA administration workers from EU Member States in the 2nd half of 2010 Report on the activity in 2009 and the 1st quarter of 2010 of the MFA- Government 81. 08.06.2010 Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish Presidency in the EU Plenipotentiary * Information on the division of reserve training places for the MFA- Government 82. 15.06.2010 presidency corps Plenipotentiary * Annex to the Map of risks connected with the preparation of and MFA- Government 83. 22.06.2010 support for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Preliminary list of priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council MFA- Government 84. 02.07.2010 in the 2nd half of 2011 Plenipotentiary * Staffing reinforcement for the period of the Presidency. Permanent MFA- Government 85. 6.07.2010 Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels and other diplomatic Plenipotentiary * missions. Part 3 Information on the provision of hotel booking services for 6.07.2010 / MFA- Government 86. representatives of the Polish administration during the Polish 5.11.2010 Plenipotentiary * Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 Programming of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council. Summary 87. 13.07.2010 MFA system: conception and technical parameters of the project 3rd amendment to the Multiannual Program: preparation, support MFA- Government 88. 16.07.2010 for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the Plenipotentiary * European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Poland's preparations for the Presidency of the EU Council : MFA- Government 89. 30.07.2010 information on the activity of the Plenipotentiary in the 2nd quarter Plenipotentiary * of 2010 Guidelines concerning the communication policy of the Polish MFA- Government 90. 30.07.2010 Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Information on the inventory of policy issues scheduled in the 2nd MFA- Government 91. 30.07.2010 half of 2011: catalogue of issues that will appear on the agenda of Plenipotentiary * the Polish Presidency Report on the preparation of the Cultural Programme of the Polish 92. 30.07.2010 MCNH Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 (2nd quarter of 2010) Programme of the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus Presidency - strategic MFA- Government 93. 14.09.2010 part. Polish contribution ** Plenipotentiary * Programming of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council: information MFA- Government 94. 05.10.2010 on the assessment of the feasibility of applying the summary system Plenipotentiary * to issues on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council Poland's draft position concerning representation of the Union vis-à-vis third states and international organisations and internal MFA- Government 95. 8.10.2010 coordination at international organisations following the entry into Plenipotentiary * force of the Treaty of Lisbon ** Information on the state of implementation of the Cultural 96. 26.10.2010 MCNH Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011

216 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Information on traineeships at the European Commission for public 97. 10.11.2010 administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st half of MFA 2011 ** Information on the submission of topics of exploratory opinions for the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee MFA- Government 98. 19.11.2010 of the Regions, at the initiative of the Polish Presidency of the EU Plenipotentiary * Council Principles of the organisation of meetings planned during the Polish MFA- Government 99. 19.11.2010 Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Calendar of meetings planned during the Polish Presidency of the EU MFA- Government 100. 16.12.2010 Council in 2011 ** Plenipotentiary * Information on the updating of guidelines concerning cooperation MFA- Government 101. 30.11.2010 with partners providing cost-free support for the organisation of the Plenipotentiary * Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 Calendar of meetings planned during the Polish Presidency of the EU MFA- Government 102. 30.11.2010 Council in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Information on the results of the recruitment of candidates for the programme of traineeships at the European Commission for public 103. 03.12.2010 MFA administration workers from EU Member States in the 1st half of 2011 ** Information on current actions with the view of implementing the 104. 14.12.2010 MSHE Polish Presidency priority ‘Intellectual Capital’ Staffing reinforcement for the period of the Presidency. Permanent MFA- Government 105. 21.12.2010 Representation of Poland to the EU in Brussels and other diplomatic Plenipotentiary * missions. Part 4 2nd update of the executive document to the Multiannual Programme: preparation, support for and execution of the Polish MFA- Government 106. 21.12.2010 Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the 2nd half of Plenipotentiary * 2011 Report on the activity of the Plenipotentiary for Ensuring Security 107. 21.01.2011 during the Preparation and Execution by the Republic of Poland of MIA the Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 (2nd half of 2010) Security programme for meetings during the preparation and 108. 21.01.2011 execution by the Republic of Poland of the Presidency of the EU MIA Council in 2011 Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the EU MFA- Government 109. 28.01.2011 Council: information on the activity of the Plenipotentiary in the 4th Plenipotentiary * quarter of 2010 Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 1. Economic and MFA - Government 110. 01.02.2011 Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and Education, Youth, Culture and Plenipotentiary * Sport Council (EYCS) Information on current measures being taken with the view to the 111. 04.02.2011 MSHE implementation of the Polish Presidency priority ‘Intellectual capital’.

217 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 2. General Affairs MFA - Government 112. 08.02.2011 Council (GAC) and Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council Plenipotentiary * (TTE) Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 3. Justice and MFA - Government 113. 11.02.2011 Home Affairs Council (JHA), Competitiveness Council (COMPET) and Plenipotentiary * Environment Council (ENVI). Report of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the 4th 114. 11.02.2011 quarter of 2010 concerning works on the Cultural Programme of the MCNH Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011. Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of MFA - Government 115. 18.02.2011 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 4. Agriculture and Plenipotentiary * Fisheries Council (AGRI) Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of MFA - Government 116. 22.02.2011 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 5. Employment, Plenipotentiary * Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) Information on meetings of ministers and senior ministry officials MFA - Government 117. 01.03.2011 with key representatives of the European Parliament in the run-up to Plenipotentiary * the Polish Presidency of the EU Council MFA - Government 118. 08.03.2011 Programme of the six-month Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Update of Poland's position concerning representation of the Union vis-à-vis third states and international organisations and internal MFA - Government 119. 22.03.2011 coordination at international organisations following the entry into Plenipotentiary * force of the Treaty of Lisbon Information on cooperation with the European Parliament - MFA - Government 120. 22.03.2011 preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Principles of amending the calendar of the Polish Presidency of the MFA - Government 121. 01.04.2011 EU Council in 2011 Plenipotentiary * Report on the activity of the Plenipotentiary for Ensuring Security during the Preparation and Execution by the Republic of Poland of 122. 19.04.2011 MIA the Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 (1 January to 31 March 2011) Security programme for meetings during the preparation and execution by the Republic of Poland of the Presidency of the EU 123. 19.04.2011 MIA Council in 2011 - ‘Conception of fire safety measures for ministerial meetings’ 4th amendment to the Multiannual Programme: preparation, support MFA - Government 124. 29.04.2011 for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the Plenipotentiary * European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the EU MFA - Government 125. 10.05.2011 Council: information on the activity of the Plenipotentiary in the 1st Plenipotentiary * quarter of 2011

218 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Update of information on cooperation with the European Parliament MFA - Government 126. 10.05.2011 - preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Information on current measures being taken with the view to the 127. 10.05.2011 MSHE implementation of the Polish Presidency priority ‘Intellectual capital’. Information on the principles of the division of funds for supplementary remuneration of members of the presidency corps MFA - Government 128. 10.05.2011 and other persons engaged in the preparation and execution of the Plenipotentiary * Polish Presidency of the EU Council Division of funds for supplementary remuneration of members of the MFA - Government 129. 13.05.2011 presidency corps and other persons engaged in the preparation and Plenipotentiary * execution of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2012 ** Information on the state of implementation of the Cultural 130. 17.05.2011 MCNH Programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 Introduction of financial issues connected with the negotiations on MFA - Government 131. 17.05.2011 the Multiannual Financial Framework onto the agenda of sector Plenipotentiary * councils during the Polish Presidency Update of the six-month programme of the Polish Presidency of the MFA - Government 132. 17.05.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 Plenipotentiary * Information on the presentation by ministers of the Presidency MFA - Government 133. 17.05.2011 programme to European Parliament committees in July 2011 Plenipotentiary * Update of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of MFA - Government 134. 17.05.2011 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency - part 6. Foreign Affairs Plenipotentiary * Council Information on the introduction of the system Electronic Exchange of Documents - Poland in the period from January 2009 to January 135. 24.05.2011 MFA 2011, with proposal of further undertakings in the context of preparations for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Annex to the ‘Catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half of MFA - Government 136. 24.05.2011 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency’ Plenipotentiary * Calendar of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European MFA - Government 137. 24.05.2011 Union 2011 Plenipotentiary * Information on the chairpersons of sector councils during the Polish MFA - Government 138. 26.05.2011 Presidency ** Plenipotentiary * Annexing of the catalogue of issues that may appear in the 2nd half MFA - Government 139. 31.05.2011 of 2011 on the agenda of the Polish Presidency (part II: COMPET, Plenipotentiary * EPSCO, ENVI, GAC, EYCS) Preliminary list of the Working Groups that will be officially organised MFA - Government 140. 07.06.2011 in Poland as part of the Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * New text of the ‘Information on the presentation by ministers of the MFA - Government 141. 15.06.2011 Presidency programme to European Parliament committees in July Plenipotentiary * 2011’ ** Information about funds for financing additional annual remuneration in 2012 for staff who reinforced the Permanent MFA - Government 142. 21.06.2011 Representation of Poland to the EU and other diplomatic missions Plenipotentiary * during the Presidency

219 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in Leading institutions 143. 21.06.2011 the 2nd half of 2011 (part 1: EPSCO, GAC, AGRI, ENVI, MFF). Adoption on given issue/MFA of the negotiating mandate Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Leading institutions 144. 21.06.2011 in the 2nd half of 2011 (part 2: JHA, ECOFIN). Adoption of the on given issue/MFA negotiating mandate Changes in the six-month programme of the Polish Presidency of the MFA - Government 145. 21.06.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 (in relation to document adopted Plenipotentiary * by the Council of Ministers on 31 May 2011) Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in Leading institutions 146. 28.06.2011 the 2nd half of 2011 (part 3: TTE, EYCS, COMPET, FAC). Adoption of on given issue/MFA the negotiating mandate Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Leading institutions 147. 28.06.2011 in the 2nd half of 2011 (part 2: JHA, ECOFIN). Adoption of the on given issue/MFA negotiating mandate. Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council Leading institutions 148. 28.06.2011 in the 2nd half of 2011 (part 1: EPSCO, GAC, MFF). Adoption of the on given issue/MFA negotiating mandate List of meetings in Poland and abroad planned during the Polish MFA - Government 149. 28.06.2011 Presidency of the EU Council Plenipotentiary * Information on current measures being taken with the view to the 150. 28.06.2011 implementation of the Polish Presidency priority ‘Full use of Europe's MSHE intellectual capital’ Preliminary agendas of the respective formations of the Council MFA - Government 151. 28.06.2011 during the Polish Presidency. Plenipotentiary * Poland's preparations for the assumption of the Presidency of the EU MFA - Government 152. 28.06.2011 Council: information on the activity of the Plenipotentiary in the 2nd Plenipotentiary * quarter of 2011 ** Report on the activity of the Plenipotentiary for Ensuring Security 153. 01.07.2011 during the Preparation and Execution by the Republic of Poland of MIA the Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 (1 April to 30 June 2011) *** New text of programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the 154. 05.07.2011 EU Council from the MFF package concerning the Regulation on the MRD/MFA European Globalisation Adjustment Fund ** New texts of programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council from the EPSCO package, remaining within the competence of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate/Health Ministry, concerning: 155. 11.07.2011 • draft directive of the Council changing directive 76/768/EEC on CSI/MH/MFA cosmetic products for the purpose of adapting annex 3 thereto to technical progress (teeth whitening substances) • revision of directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption **

220 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document New programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning the 156. 13.07.2011 Proposal for a directive amending European Parliament and Council MI/MFA directive 2000/25/EC on emission levels in agricultural and forestry narrow-track tractors ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the EPSCO package concerning 157. 15.07.2011 the Draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on CSI/MH/MFA food intended for infants and small children and food for special medical purposes. ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning the General 158. 20.07.2011 MFA implementing provisions for articles 11 and 12 of annex VIII to the Staff Regulations regarding the transfer of pension rights ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the EPSCO package concerning the Draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council 159. 25.07.2011 MLSP/MFA amending regulation (EC) 883/2004 on the coordination of social security programmes and regulation 987/2009/EC laying down the procedure for implementing regulation (EC) 883/2004 ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning 160. 26.07.2011 MF/MFA the appointment of new members of the Supervisory Committee of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) ** MF/ MFA - 161. 02.08.2011 Eighteen-month programme of the Poland-Denmark-Cyprus trio *** Government Plenipotentiary * Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package concerning the 162. 03.08.2011 MEc/MFA Multilateral negotiations as part of the Doha Development Round DDA WTO ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning 163. 03.08.2011 MF/MFA directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning draft decision 164. 03.08.2011 MRD/MFA of the Council amending decision 2002/546/EC as regards its period of application **

221 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document New programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning: • Commission Communication: Proposals on measures under the plan for the recovery of hake and lobster stocks 165. 05.08.2011 • EC delegated regulation issued pursuant to article 5 (1) of MARD/MFA regulation 998/2003 of the EP and the Council on the non- commercial movement of pet animals • EC delegated regulation issued pursuant to article 19a on the non-commercial movement of pet animals ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning 166. 10.08.2011 MI/MFA the communication European Union and neighbouring regions: new concept of cooperation in the field of transport Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning 167. 10.08.2011 MF/MFA the Proposal for the introduction of the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning 168. 26.08.2011 MF/MFA the Action plan against the smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol along the EU eastern border ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning 169. 26.08.2011 the Revision of the multiannual financial perspective of the EU for MF/MFA the years 2007-2013 - additional financing needs of the ITER project (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning the Proposal for amendment of Council regulation 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional 170. 30.08.2011 Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund MRD/MFA and repealing regulation (EC) 1260/1999 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability ** Division of funds for supplementary remuneration of members of the MFA - Government 171. 01.09.2011 presidency corps and other persons engaged in the preparation and Plenipotentiary * execution of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning the Proposal for amendment of Council regulation 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional 172. 01.09.2011 MRD/MFA Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing regulation (EC) 1260/1999 as regards new forms of returnable support, financial engineering instruments and financial settlements with the EC **

222 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning the draft 173. 02.09.2011 Council decision amending decision 2007/569/CE on reduced rate MRD/MFA of excise duty on traditional rum produced in France's overseas departments** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning the Commission recommendation for the Council to authorise the 174. 02.09.2011 Commission to open negotiations on extending the scope of the MI/MFA agreement on occasional international carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus agreement) to include regular international carriage of passengers ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning the 175. 02.09.2011 MEc/MFA Conclusions of the EU Council on the audit by the special European Court of Auditors of the SME Guarantee Facility ** Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning: • draft amendment of the statute of the Court of Justice of the 176. 05.09.2011 European Union and annex 1 to the statute, MFA • draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on temporary judges of the Civil Service Tribunal, • draft rules of procedure of the Court of Justice** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning 177. 07.09.2011 MI/MFA amendment of regulation (EEC) 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning the Report 178. 12.09.2011 of finance ministers of the Member States participating in the Euro MF/MFA Plus Pact concerning progress in their structured discussions on tax policy ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the 179. 12.09.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package, within MF/MFA the competence of the MF, removed from the on-line system ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning the Draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council amending 180. 15.09.2011 Council regulation (EC) 1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Fund MARD/MFA as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 181. 16.09.2011 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package, within CSO/MFA the competence of the CSO, removed from the on-line system **

223 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package concerning the financial 182. 20.09.2011 MFA instrument for the promotion of democracy and human rights worldwide** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning the Preparation of coordinating meetings preceding the extraordinary 183. 21.09.2011 MARD/MFA General Assembly of the International Vine and Wine Office (OIV) to be held in Montpellier, France, on 28 October 2011 and a possible EC proposal for a Council decision on the matter ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the EU's 184. 21.09.2011 MFA accession to the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 185. 26.09.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning MEc/MFA European space policy ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning the 186. 26.09.2011 MF/MFA application of the optional and temporary reverse charge mechanism on certain goods susceptible to tax fraud ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning the 187. 26.09.2011 Green Paper on information provision and promotion measures for MARD/MFA agricultural products: a strategy with major European added value for the promotion of the tastes of Europe ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning 188. 26.09.2011 the Council regulation on the correction coefficients applied as of 1 MFA July 2010 to the remunerations of officials and other servants of the European Union. ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 189. 26.09.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package concerning the MFA Political declaration of the 2nd Summit of the Eastern Partnership ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the draft 190. 27.09.2011 MJ/MFA conclusions of the Council on improving the efficiency of future EU financial programmes supporting judicial cooperation ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning the Proposal 191. 29.09.2011 for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council amending MARD/MFA Council directive 64/432/EEC with regard to computer data bases which are part of the surveillance networks in the Member States **

224 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Updated programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning: • EC delegated regulation issued pursuant to article 5 (1) of regulation 998/2003 of the EP and the Council on the non- commercial movement of pet animals 192. 29.09.2011 r. • EC delegated regulation issued pursuant to article 19a on the MARD/MFA non-commercial movement of pet animals • regulation of the European Parliament and the Council amending regulation (CE) 1760/2000 with regard to the introduction of electronic identification of cattle and deleting the provisions on voluntary labelling of beef ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 193. 07.10.2011 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package, within MIA/MFA the competence of the MIA, removed from the on-line system ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the AGRI package concerning 194. 07.10.2011 CSO/MFA the Proposal for an EP and Council regulation on European statistics relating to permanent crops. ** Updated programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning: • Proposal for an EP and Council decision on the European 195. 07.10.2011 statistical programme for the years 2013-2017 - legislative CSO/MFA initiative, • Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ENVI package concerning 196. 07.10.2011 the EU's position in the international negotiations within the UN MEn/MFA Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the so-called Climate Convention ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the 197. 10.10.2011 MJ/MFA Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on the right to information in criminal proceedings. ** Report of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the 2nd 198. 10.10.2011 quarter of 2011 on the preparation of the cultural programme of the MCNH Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the 199. 12.10.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package, within MF/MFA the competence of the MF, removed from the on-line system ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning 200. 13.10.2011 MEc/MFA the Central Priority of the Polish Presidency: strengthening of the external energy policy **

225 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 201. 20.10.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning MF/MFA the Tax on financial transactions ** Report on the activity of the Plenipotentiary for Ensuring Security during the Preparation and Execution by the Republic of Poland of 202. 21.10.2011 MIA the Presidency of the EU Council in 2011 (1 July to 30 September 2011) *** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the 203. 24.10.2011 MFA accession of the EU to the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the 204. 26.10.2011 Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council MJ/MFA creating a European Account Preservation Order to facilitate cross- border debt recovery in civil and commercial matters ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the Draft report on the review of the application of the resolutions 205. 26.10.2011 of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the MJ/MFA Member States , meeting within the Council, on the establishment of a network for legislative cooperation between the ministries of justice of the European Union ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 206. 27.10.2011 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package, within MEc/MFA the competence of the MEc, removed from the on-line system ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 207. 02.11.2011 the 2nd half of 2011 from the EPSCO package concerning the EU MH/MFA statement on World Aids Day ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning the Proposal 208. 02.11.2011 for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on MI/MFA the accelerated phasing-in of double-hull or equivalent design requirements for single-hull oil tankers ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 209. 02.11.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package concerning the MFA Political declaration of the 2nd Eastern Partnership Summit ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET and EPSCO 210. 02.11.2011 OCCP/MFA packages, within the competence of the OCCP, removed from the on-line system ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning the Plans of the European Commission with respect to the 211. 04.11.2011 MI/MFA periodic review of the scope of universal service in electronic telecommunications networks and services, in accordance with article 15 of directive 2002/2/CE **

226 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the EPSCO package concerning 212. 07.11.2011 MEn/MFA the Programme of the European Union for social change and innovation ** Updated programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ENVI package concerning: 213. 09.11.2011 MEn/MFA • Measures to protect biodiversity after CBD COP10, • EC communication ‘Action plan for a resource-efficient Europe’ ** New text of the programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the 214. 16.11.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ENVI package concerning MEn/MFA the EC communication ‘Action plan for a resource-efficient Europe’ ** Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning: • Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on the European Year of Citizens (2013) • SIRENE MIGRATION - preparation of the concept of implementing the process 215. 14.11.2011 MIA/MFA • Directive of the Council amending Council directive 93/109/CE of 6 December 1993 laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for the citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals • Implementation of the Schengen II Information System (recast) ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the from the ENVI package 216. 16.11.2011 concerning recast of European Parliament and Council directive MEn/MFA 2002/96/CE of 27 January 2003 on waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE)** Information on a programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package, 217. 17.11.2011. MSHE/MFA within the competence of the MSHE, removed from the on-line system ** Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning: • Recommendations of the European Commission regarding the Joint Programming Initiatives ‘Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans’, ‘The Microbial Challenge - An Emerging Threat 218. 17.11.2011 to Human Health’, ‘Connecting Climate Knowledge for Europe MSHE/MFA (Clik’EU)’, ‘Urban Europe - Global Urban Challenges, Joint European Solutions’, ‘Water Challenges for a Changing World’ (update), • Modernization of the system of recognition of professional qualifications (within the scope of directive 2005/36/CE) ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the Debate on 219. 17.11.2011 MIA/MFA the recent events in Norway and their consequences as regards the combating of terrorist and extremist attacks **

227 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document

Report on the activity in the 3rd quarter of 2011 of the Government MFA - Government 220. 21.11.2011 Plenipotentiary for the Polish Presidency in the EU ** Plenipotentiary *

Information on a programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the 221. 23.11.2011 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package, within MEc/MFA the competence of the MEc, removed from the on-line system ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning 222. 24.11.2011 MEc/MFA the Regulation on the safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the from the COMPET package concerning 223. 25.11.2011 OCCP/MSFA the EC proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council regarding the consumer programme for the years 2014-2020 ** Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning: • Russian Federation proposal of amendments to the convention 224. 28.11.2011 NAEA/MFA on nuclear safety, • Russian Federation proposal of amendments to the convention on early notification of a nuclear accident ** Updated Information concerning sector council chairpersons during MFA - Government 225. 29.11.2011 the Polish Presidency ** Plenipotentiary * Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning: • amendment of European Parliament and Council directive 226. 30.11.2011 MTCME/MFA 2006/126/EC on driving licenses • amendment of regulation (EEC) 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport (recast) ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from EPSCO package concerning draft Conclusions of the EU Employment, Social Policy, Health 227. 30.11.2011 MLSP/MFA and Consumer Affairs Council on the implementation of the first European semester and thematic surveillance in employment and social policies ** Information on a programme summary of the Polish Presidency of 228. 01.12.2011. the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the EYCS package within MNE/MFA the competence of the MNE, removed from the on-line system ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in MEc MFA - 229. 01.12.2011 the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning the EC Government communication on the Annual Growth Survey 2012 ** Plenipotentiary * Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 230. 06.12.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the FAC package concerning the MFA OECD enlargement process ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 231. 06.12.2011 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning MF/MFA revision of the accounting directives **

228 Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in 232. 08.12.2011 the 2nd half of 2011 from the COMPET package concerning reduction MEc/MFA of the regulatory burden on the SME sector ** Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the ECOFIN package concerning the Green 233. 09.12.2011 MF/MFA Paper on the feasibility of introducing stability bonds - non-legislative initiative ** Draft position of Poland concerning the EU document on the Proposal 234. 06.12.2011 for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on a OCCP consumer programme 2014-2020 (COM(2011) 707) ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE package concerning 235. 09.12.2011 MTCME/MFA revision of the EU guidelines on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) - legislative initiative ** Programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning: 236. 09.12.2011 • Coordinated deployment of document advisers MI/MFA • Granting of access to the iFADO system to non-EU members of the Police Cooperation Convention for South-East Europe * Programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the GAC package concerning the use 237. 19.12.2011 made in 2010 by the institutions of regulations on continuous and MFA shift work, on standby duty and on particularly arduous working conditions ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the TTE, GAC and COMPET 238. 20.12.2011 MTCME/MFA packages, within the competence of the MTCME, removed from the on-line system ** Draft position of Poland concerning the EU document Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the specific 239. 22.12.2011 MF requirements regarding statutory audit of public interest entities (COM(2011) 779) ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011 within the competence of MRD/PPO/MEc/ 240. 27.12.2011 the MRD, PPO, MEc, OCCP and the MLSP, removed from the on-line MLSP/OCCP/MFA system ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, within the competence of the MARD/MEn/MCNH/ 241. 28.12.2011 MARD, MEn, MCNH, MJ, MEc, MFA and the CSO, removed from the MJ/MEc/CSO/MFA on-line system ** Updated programme summary of the Polish Presidency of the EU 242. 03.01.2012 Council in the 2nd half of 2011 from the JHA package concerning the MJ/MFA Regulation on a common European sales law **

229 Report Annex No. 4

Date of meeting/ adoption or Author of No . Title of document transfer of document document Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of the MEn/MH/MI/MAD/ 243. 03.01.2012 EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, within the competence of the MEn, MFA MH, MI, MAD and the MFA, removed from the on-line system ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 244. 12.01.2012 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, within the competence of the MF/MFA MF and the MFA, removed from the on-line system ** Report on the activity of the Plenipotentiary for Ensuring Security during the Preparation and Execution by the Republic of Poland 245. 11.01.2012 MI of the Presidency of the EU Council in 2011, for the period from 1 October to 31 December 2011 *** Report of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on the 246. 13.01.2012 implementation of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency MCNH of the EU Council in 2011 ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 247. 26.01.2012 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, within the competence of the MEc/MFA MEc, removed from the on-line system ** Information on programme summaries of the Polish Presidency of 248. 2.02.2012 the EU Council in the 2nd half of 2011, within the competence of the NAEA/MFA NAEA, removed from the on-line system ** 5th amendment to the Multiannual Program: preparation, support MFA- Government 249. 20.02.2012 for and execution of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the Plenipotentiary * European Union in the 2nd half of 2011 **

Report on the activity in the 4th of 2011 of the Government MFA- Government 250. 9.03.2012 Plenipotentiary for the Polish Presidency in the EU** Plenipotentiary *

* Government Plenipotentiary for the Preparation of Governmental Administrative Agencies and Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU ** Document adopted in written procedure *** Document distributed in CC procedure

230

Annex No. 5

Schedule of speeches given by the Polish Presidency ministers in the EP committees at the beginning and at the end of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Date (2011) Committee Presidency minister Presentation of the sector-related priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Committee on International Trade Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, 12.07 (INTA) Waldemar Pawlak Secretary of State for European Affairs Committee on Constitutional Affairs 4.07 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (AFCO) Mikołaj Dowgielewicz Committee on Economic 4.07 and Monetary Affairs Minister of Finance, Jacek Rostowski (ECON) Committee on Employment Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Jolanta Fedak 12.07 and Social Affairs Minister of Regional Development, Elżbieta Bieńkowska (EMPL) Minister of Health, Ewa Kopacz Committee on Environment, Minister of Environment, Andrzej Kraszewski 13-14.07 Public Health and Food Safety Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, (ENVI) Marek Sawicki Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Waldemar Pawlak Minister of Science and Higher Education, Committee on Industry, Barbara Kudrycka 12-13.07 Research and Energy Minister of Infrastructure, (ITRE) Cezary Grabarczyk Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Interior and Administration, Piotr Kołodziejczyk Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy, Committee on Internal Market and Waldemar Pawlak 12.07 Consumer Protection President of the Office of Competition (IMCO) and Consumer Protection, Małgorzata Kransodębska-Tomkiel Minister of Infrastructure, Cezary Grabarczyk Committee on Transport and Tourism 12.07 Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Sport and Tourism, (TRAN) Katarzyna Sobierajska Committee on Regional Development 12.07 Minister of Regional Development, Elżbieta Bieńkowska (REGI) Committee on Agriculture Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, 12.07 and Rural Development Marek Sawicki (AGRI) Committee on Fisheries Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, 13.07 (PECH) Marek Sawicki Minister of National Education,Katarzyna Hall Minister of Science and Higher Education, Barbara Kudrycka Committee on Culture and Education 13.07 Minister of Sport and Tourism, Adam Giersz (CULT) Secretary of State, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Piotr Żuchowski

233 Report Annex No. 5

Date (2011) Committee Presidency minister Minister of Justice, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski Secretary of State, Committee on Legal Affairs Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, 12.07 (JURI) Piotr Żuchowski Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economy, Marcin Korolec Committee on Civil Liberties, Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, 12.07 Justice and Home Affairs Jerzy Miller (LIBE) Minister of Justice, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Committee on Women's Rights Jolanta Fedak 13.07 and Gender Equality Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment, (FEMM) Elżbieta Radziszewska Summary of the Achievements of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union Committee on Foreign Affairs 23.11 Minister of Foreign Affairs,Radosław Sikorski (AFET) Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Justice, Committee on Civil Liberties, Igor Dzialuk 5.12 Justice and Home Affairs Secretary of State, Ministry of Interior, (LIBE) Piotr Stachańczyk Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Justice, Committee on Legal Affairs Igor Dzialuk 19.12 (JURI) Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maciej Szpunar (for the European patent) Committee on Regional Development 19.12 Minister of Regional Development, Elżbieta Bieńkowska (REGI) Committee on Economic 20.12 and Monetary Affairs Minister of Finance, Jacek Rostowski (ECON) Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economy, Committee on Industry, Maciej Kaliski 20.12 Research and Energy Undersecretary of State, (ITRE) Ministry of Administration and Digitization, Magdalena Gaj Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economy, Committee on Internal Market Grażyna Henclewska 20.12 and Consumer Protection President of the Office of Competition (IMCO) and Consumer Protection, Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel Committee on International Trade Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Economy, 20.12 (INTA) Hanna Trojanowska Minister of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy, Committee on Transport and Tourism Sławomir Nowak 23.01.2012 (TRAN) Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Katarzyna Sobierajska Committee on Agriculture Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, 24.01.2012 and Rural Development Marek Sawicki (AGRI)

234 Annex No. 6

Addresses by the Prime Minister and ministers of the Polish Presidency delivered on behalf of the Council at plenary sessions of the EP in Strasbourg and Brussels during the 2nd half of 2011

Date (2011) Purpose of address Premier/ Polish Presidency minister 6.07 Presentation of the Presidency programme Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Participation in debate with Commission President J. MFA Secretary of State for European Affairs 5.07 M. Barroso on the Multiannual Financial Framework Mikołaj Dowgielewicz Council statement on ‘Cross-border exchange of 5.07 Minister of Infrastructure Cezary Grabarczyk information on road safety related traffic offences’ Council statement on ‘Financial, economic and social 6.07 Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski crisis: measures and initiatives to be taken’ Minister of Agriculture Participation in debate on ‚Provision of food 6.07 and Rural Development information to consumers’ Marek Sawicki Participation in debate on ‚European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at Minister of the Interior and Administration 13.09 the External Borders of the Member States of the Jerzy Miller European Union (FRONTEX)’ Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚Energy market integrity 13.09 the Ministry of Economy and transparency’ Marcin Korolec Under-Secretary of State at 13.09 Participation in debate on ‚Better legislation’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maciej Szpunar Statement on behalf of the Council on the economic 14.09 Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski crisis and the euro Under-Secretary of State at Presentation of the Council's position on the EU draft 14.09 the Ministry of Finance budget for 2012 Jacek Dominik Participation in debate on ‚Closing the gap between 14.09 Minister of the Interior Jerzy Miller anti-corruption law and reality’ Secretary of State for European Affairs at Participation in debates on: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1. The situation in Libya 14.09 Mikołaj Dowgielewicz 2. The situation in Syria on behalf of High Representative for Foreign 3. The peace process in the Middle East Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton Secretary of State for European Affairs at Statement on behalf of the Council on preparations 12.10 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the European Council on 17 and 18 October 2011 Mikołaj Dowgielewicz Participation in debate on ‚The accession of Bulgaria Minister of the Interior and Administration 12.10 and Romania to the Schengen area’ Jerzy Miller Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚The European semester 25.10 the Ministry of Finance 2011: first lessons’ Jacek Dominik Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚State of play of the 25.10 the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy maternity leave directive’ Radosław Mleczko Participation in debate on ‚Parliament's position on Under-Secretary of State at 26.10 the 2012 draft budget as modified by the Council the Ministry of Finance (all sections)’ Jacek Dominik

235 Report Annex No. 6

Date (2011) Purpose of address Premier/ Polish Presidency minister Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Address on ‚Establishment of a joint EU resettlement 26.10 the Interior and Administration programme’ Piotr Stachańczyk Under-Secretary of State at Address on ‚Public health threat of antimicrobial 26.10 the Ministry of Health resistance’ Adam Fronczak Participation in debate on ‚Sexual abuse of children - 26.10 Minister of Justice Krzysztof Kwiatkowski children's rights’ Participation in debate on ‚Qualification and status Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of 26.10 of third country nationals or stateless persons as the Interior and Administration beneficiaries of international protection’ Piotr Stachańczyk Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚Climate Conference in 15.11 the Ministry of the Environment Durban’ Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚EU Accountability Report 15.11 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Financing for Development’ Krzysztof Stanowski Plenipotentiary of the Government Participation in debate on ‚Situation of the Roma in 16.11 for Equal Treatment Member States’ Elżbieta Radziszewska Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚The open Internet and net 16.11 the Ministry of Infrastructure neutrality in Europe’ Magdalena Gaj Secretary of State for European Affairs Statement on behalf of the Council on preparations 30.11 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the European Council on 8 and 9 December 2011 Mikołaj Dowgielewicz Secretary of State for European Affairs Participation in debate on ‚Accession of the Republic 30.11 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Croatia’ Mikołaj Dowgielewicz Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚European semester for 30.11 the Ministry of Finance economic policy coordination’ Jacek Dominik Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚EU global response to HIV/ 1.12 the Ministry of Health AIDS (in connection with the World AIDS Day)’ Adam Fronczak Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚2012 budget: outcome of 1.12 the Ministry of Finance budgetary conciliation’ Jacek Dominik 14.12 Summing-up of the Polish Presidency Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Under-Secretary of State at Participation in debate on ‚Detention conditions in 14.12 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the EU’ Maciej Szpunar Participation in the address of the President of the Under-Secretary of State at 15.12 European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, in connection with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the conclusion of the President's term of office Maciej Szpunar

236 Annex No. 7

Calendar of meetings of the European Council, the Council of the European Union and other selected ministerial meetings during the Polish Presidency in 2011

July 5 – 6.07 Informal Meeting of Ministers of Health, Sopot 6 – 7.07 Conference ‘Eastern Dimension of Mobility’, Warsaw 7 – 8.07 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Policy, Sopot 8.07 Meeting of members of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland with EU College of Commissioners, Warsaw 11 – 12.07 Informal Meeting of Ministers of Environment, Sopot 12.07 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Brussels 13 – 15.07 High – Level Meeting of Directors General for Energy, Bełchatów 14 – 15.07 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Development, Sopot 16.07 Ministerial conference ‘Energy use of biomass from agriculture as an important element of Common Agricultural Policy’, Sopot 18.07 General Affairs Council (GAC), Brussels 18.07 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), Brussels 19.07 Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), Brussels 18 – 19.07 Informal Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), Sopot 18 – 19.07 Conference ‘Equalising opportunities through sport as an element of social policy’, Wrocław 18 – 20.07 Conference ‘Competences in Culture’, Warsaw 20.07 Conference preceding the informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council on European Research Area, Sopot 20 – 22.07 Informal Competitiveness Council (COMPET), Sopot 28 – 29.07 Informal Meeting of Ministers for European Affairs, Sopot

September 2–3.09 Informal meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs under the GYMNICH formula, Sopot 5.09 Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility, Gdańsk 5–6.09 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Transport, Sopot 8.09 Conference of Ministers of Economy of the Eastern Partnership countries, Krynica Zdrój 8–11.09 European Culture Congress, Wrocław 9.09 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Culture and Audiovisual Affairs, Wrocław 12.09 General Affairs Council (GAC), Brussels 12.09 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), Brussels 11–13.09 Informal Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), Wrocław

237 Report Annex No. 7

15.09 Ministerial conference ‘Ownership transformation in Poland – evaluation and plans for the future’, Warsaw 15.09 Economy Ministry ministerial conference on the 15th anniversary of Poland’s membership in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Warsaw 16–17.09 Informal Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Wrocław 20.09 Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), Brussels 19–20.09 Informal Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council – Energy (TTE–Energy), Wrocław 22–23.09 Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), Brussels 22–23.09 Informal Meeting of Ministers of National Defence, Wrocław 26.09 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in the format of ministers responsible for trade affairs, Brussels 26.09 Formal lunch of trade ministers, Brussels 26.09 Ministry of Labour and Social Policy ministerial conference on the social priority ‘Social effects of the economic crisis: Short and long–term actions as part of anti–crisis policy’, Wrocław 28–29.09 Ministerial conference ‘Forestry for the climate and biological diversity’ together with a meeting of forestry and nature protection directors, Ryn 29–30.09 Eastern Partnership Summit, Warsaw 29–30.09 Competitiveness Council (COMPET), Brussels

October 3.10 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), Luxembourg 2–4.10 Single Market Forum (SIMFO), Cracow 4.10 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Luxembourg 5–6.10 Informal meeting of ministers for tourism, Cracow 5–7.10 Europejskie Tourism Forum, Cracow 6.10 Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council – transport (TTE – Transport), Luxembourg 10.10 Enviroment Council (ENVI), Luxembourg 10–11.10 Permanent Partnership Council EU – Russia in the fields of Justice and Home Affairs, Warsaw 10–11.10 Ministerial Conference of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy ‘Challenges and opportunities for employment in the presence of demographic changes’, Warsaw 10–11.10 Conference of EU Ministers in charge of Compulsory Education, Gdańsk 11–12.10 Ministerial Conference ‘Sharing Green Economy Best Practices – towards Rio+20’, Warsaw

238 13.10 General Affairs Council (GAC), Luxembourg 13.10 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), Luxembourg 13–14.10 Informal Meeting of Ministers of Sport, Cracow 17.10 Tripartite Social Summit, Brussels 17–18.10 Convention of the European Platform against Poverty, Cracow 17–18.10 EUROPEAN COUNCIL, Brussels 18–19.10 Ministerial Conference ‘Development of European Statistical System within Eastern Partnership – directions and strategy’, Cracow 19–20.10 Ministerial Conference ‘Prospectives for the development of electronic communications market in the European Union’, Warsaw 19–21.10 ‘Towards better cooperation’ Eastern Neighbourhood Customs Cooperation Seminar, Cracow 20–21.10 Justice and Home Affairs Council (AGRIFISH), Luxembourg 20–21.10 Senior Officials Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean, Cracow 20– 21.10 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Family and Gender Equality, Cracow 24–25.10 Transport Ministers’ Meeting on Eastern Partnership, Cracow 27–28.10 ‘Adjusting the regulations of the States involved in the Eastern Partnership to the EU law within the scope of veterinary’, Cracow 27–28.10 Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), Luxembourg

November 3-4.11 2nd Ministerial Conference of the Prague Process – ‘Building Migration Partnerships in action’, Poznań 7-8.11 Ministerial conference ‘Solidarity in health. Closing the health gaps between European Union States’, Poznań 7-9.11 Ministerial conference ‘Planning for biodiversity’, Warsaw 8.11 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Brussels 9-10.11 ‘Common Frame of Reference’ Conference, Warsaw 10.11 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) / Development, Brussels 14.11 Informal Meeting of Ministers for Equality, Poznań 14-15.11 Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), Brussels 14-15.11 5th European Equality Summit, Poznań 17.11 Ministerial eGovernment Meeting, Poznań 17-18.11 6th European Ministerial eGovernment Conference and Exhibition: ‘Borderless eGovernment Services for Europeans’, Poznań 18.11 Economic and Financial Affairs Council - budget (ECOFIN budget), Brussels 30.11 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) / Defence, Brussels 21.11 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) / Foreign Affairs, Brussels

239 Report Annex No. 7

21.11 Ministerial Meeting EU-US in the fields of Home Affairs und Justice, Washington 22.11 EEA Council meeting on the margin of General Affairs Council, Brussels 22.11 General Affairs Council (GAC), Brussels 23-24.11 Conference commemorating the fifth anniversary of REACH, Warsaw 24.11 Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council - energy (TTE - Energy), Brussels 24.11 Ministerial conference ‘Integrated Approach to Development – a Key to Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Europe’, Poznań 24-25.11 European Competition and Consumer Day, Poznań 25.11 Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for EU Cohesion Policy (Regional Policy), Territorial and Urban Development, Poznań 28-29.11 Education, youth, culture and sport Council (EYCS), Brussels 30.11 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), Brussels

December 1.12 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO), Brussels 1.12 Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), Brussels 1-2.12 Senior Officials-level conference ‘EU and Southern Neighbourhood’, Warsaw 2.12 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council - Health (EPSCO - Health), Brussels 5.12 General Affairs Council (GAC), Brussels 5-6.12 Competitiveness Council (COMPET), Brussels 5-6.12 ‘European Conference – Legal Aid’, Warsaw 8-9.12 EUROPEAN COUNCIL, Brussels 12.12 Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council – transport (TTE - Transport), Brussels 13.12 Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council – telecommunications (TTE – Telecom.), Brussels 13-14.12 Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA), Brussels 15-16.12 Justice and Home Affairs Council (AGRIFISH), Brussels 15-16.12 European Development Days, Warsaw 16.12 Formal Meeting of Minister Responsible for Cohesion Policy within General Affairs Council, Brussels 19.12 Environment Council (ENVI), Brussels

240 Annex No. 8

Public Opinion Poll Descripti on

1. Assessment of Polish Presidency

More than one-half of Polish respondents (53%) expressed favourable opinions of Polish Presidency1. Approximately 1/4 of respondents (27%) were unable to off er an unambiguous assessment, while the remaining 20% expressed a negati ve opinion.

Graph No . 1 What is your opinion concerning Poland’s European Union Council Presidency in the latt er half of 2011?

defi nitely positi ve rather positi ve rather negati ve

defi nitely negati ve I don’t know / I don’t have an opinion

2. The Presidency’s Impact on Poland’s Image Abroad

The largest single group of respondents (39%)2 believe that Poland’s European Union Council Presidency has served to improve the image of Poland abroad. According to 1/3 of Polish respondents, Poland’s EU Council Presidency has had no impact on Poland’s image. The smallest group of respondents (13%) believes that Polish image abroad has deteriorated as a result of our Presidency.

Graph No . 2 In the second half of 2011, Poland held the Presidency of the European Union Council. In your opinion, how did the Polish Presidency infl uence the image of Poland abroad?

the image of Poland the image of Poland the image of Poland the image of Poland the image of Poland I don’t know / has defi nitely has somewhat has somewhat has defi nitely has remained I don’t have an improved improved deteriorated deteriorated unchanged opinion

1 GfK Polonia commissioned by the Department of European Informati on/Ministry of Foreign Aff airs (DEI/MFA), January 2012. 2 GfK Polonia commissioned by DEI/MFA, January 2012. 241 Report Annex No. 8

3. Polish Presidency Prioriti es - Performance

Nearly one-half of Polish respondents (48%)3 believe that Poland managed to implement prioriti es defi ned for Poland’s European Union Council Presidency. A negati ve opinion was expressed by slightly more than ¼ respondents (26%), with another ¼ (26%) unable to off er an unambiguous opinion on the matt er.

Graph No . 3

In general terms, how do you think Poland did in terms of implementi ng Presidency prioriti es as planned? Czy ogólnie rzecz biorąc, Pana(i) zdaniem Polska poradziła sobie z realizacją priorytetów polskiej prezydencji?

50% 45% 43% 40% 35%

30% 26% 25% 20% 20% 15% 10% 5% 6% 5% 0% zdecydowanie very well tak well raczej poorly tak very raczej poorly nie I don’t know zdecydowanie / nie nie wiem/nie mam I don’t havezdania an opinion 4. Knowledge of the Polish European Union Council Presidency

Research has shown that Polish knowledge of the Presidency developed considerably over the period from December 20094, when the questi on concerning Polish Presidency dates was asked for the fi rst ti me, to December5 2011 . In December 2009, just under 1/5 of Poles parti cipati ng in the study (17%) could specify the correct date of Poland’s assuming the Presidency. Aft er Poland had completed its chairmanship in December 2011, more than 3/5 of respondents (63%) knew that Poland had held the EU Council Presidency during the latt er half of 2011. Furthermore, towards the end of the Polish Presidency, 3/5 of respondent Poles (63%)6 claimed that their knowledge of Poland’s EU Council Presidency was suffi cient. Slightly more than 1/3 of respondents (34%) felt insuffi ciently informed. Specifi c knowledge of the Presidency, and its tasks in parti cular, was confi rmed in qualitati ve (in-depth) research7. In group discussion, respondents were able to list the tasks (responsibiliti es) of the state acti ng as President of the European Union Council. Correct responses were also provided to the Presidency trio questi on – respondents knew that Denmark and Cyprus form a Presidency trio with Poland.

3 GfK Polonia commissioned by DEI/MFA, January 2012. 4 GfK Polonia commissioned by DEI/MFA, December 2009. 5 GfK Polonia commissioned by DEI/MFA, December 2011. 6 GfK Polonia commissioned by DEI/MFA, December 2011. 7 Qualitati ve study, TNS OBOP commissioned by DEI/MFA, December 2010, June 2011, November 2011.

242 5. Importance of Polish Presidency

Public opinion polls were also used to monitor social atti tudes to the fact of Poland was holding European Council Presidency. According to an October 2011 study8, 71% of Poles stated that Polish EU Council Presidency was important (very important to 14% of respondents). Twenty-two per cent believed otherwise. Since April 20109, when Poles were asked for the fi rst ti me to express their opinion concerning Poland’s EU Council Presidency, the share of respondents believing the Polish Presidency to be important increased by 2 percentage points (October 2011). In April 2010, 69% of respondents believed that the Polish Presidency was important. Such was the response of 66% of respondents in October 201010, 64% of respondents in April 201111, and 71% of respondents in October 2011. Concurrently, throughout the period under scruti ny the share of respondents for whom the Polish Presidency deemed was unimportant increased by 1 percentage point (21% in April 2010 to 22% in October 2011).

Graph No . 4

Do you believeCzy thedla PolishPana(i), Presidency prezydencja of the PolskiCouncil w of UE the w European 2011 r. toUnion sprawa: in 2011 is:

60% 57%

50% 47% 45% 46%

40%

30% 23% 22% 21% 18% 19% 19% 20% 16% 14% 11% 10% 10% 7% 5% 5% 6% 6% 3%

0% bardzovery important ważna rather raczej important ważna raczejrather unimportantnieważna defi zdecydowanie nitely unimportant trudnodiffi powiedzie cult to say ć nieważna

kwiecieApril 2010ń 2010 r. paOctoberździernik 2010 2010 r. kwiecieApril 2011ń 2011 r. paOctoberździernik 2011 2011 r. Qualitati ve12 (in-depth) research confi rmed the considerable importance of Poland’s EU Council Presidency. Focus group parti cipants emphasised that the offi ce off ered an opportunity for Poland’s positi ve image abroad, strengthened the Polish voice in Europe, generated opportuniti es for developing soluti ons more favourable for Poland in the European Union, and – primarily – enabled the promoti on of Poland abroad.

8 GfK Polonia on commission by DEI/MFA, October 2011. 9 GfK Polonia on commission by DEI/MFA, April 2010. 10 GfK Polonia on commission by DEI/MFA, October 2010. 11 GfK Polonia on commission by DEI/MFA, April 2011. 12 Qualitati ve study, TNS OBOP commissioned by DEI/MFA, December 2010, June 2011, November 2011.

243 Report

Rzeczpospolita Polska Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych

Raport

Polskie Przewodnictwo w Radzie Unii Europejskiej 1 lipca - 31 grudnia 2011 roku